27: Ring of Fire

   All Jeongri could do was stand and stare, slack-jawed with a blank gaze. An icy numbness spread through her veins with each second that passed.

   She should be at home.

   She should be helping Kyungsoo prepare dinner.

   She should be playing with Haengbogi after a hard day at work.

   What she shouldn’t be doing is standing at death’s door, waiting for either Baekhyun or Chanyeol to kill her. It was going so well, she and Kyungsoo almost made it out of this horrendous battle, but like history repeating itself, Baekhyun and Chanyeol had appeared from nowhere. Jeongri could feel her heart sink deeper as she gripped harder onto Kyungsoo’s arm.

   Was this it?

   Baekhyun and Chanyeol were both engaged in a hushed but tense conversation with the unfamiliar female soldier who had attacked them earlier. Jeongri couldn’t hear what they were saying nor see their faces, but she could see Baekhyun gesturing emphatically with his hands.

   She couldn’t stop staring at Baekhyun, unable to understand what was happening. How does someone who you thought you lost forever, slip back into your life twice in the space of a month, both times under such horrible circumstances? Why did he tackle that woman? Jeongri wanted Baekhyun to turn around, to look her in the eye, but it was overshadowed by a louder voice. Her entire body screamed for her to escape, to run while they were distracted, but her heart kept her frozen in place.

   What was this feeling?

   Was it nostalgia?

   Was it regret?

   Was it a bittersweet hope?

   Without realising, Jeongri took a step forward, her hand outstretched.

   Baekhyun was so close.

   But then, she was held back, Kyungsoo’s firm but steady grip on her wrist. Jeongri turned around and saw Kyungsoo looking at desperately.

   “What are you doing?” he said, pulling her back.

   “I-” Jeongri stuttered, feeling just as confused at her actions, “I don’t know.”

   Kyungsoo looked so perplexed at her answer, but she didn’t know what else to say. Jeongri didn’t understand why she had moved out of the safety of Kyungsoo’s side. Putting herself out there would have made her an easy target for that vicious woman. But again, she found herself unable to tear her gaze away from the back of Baekhyun’s head.  Unlike Chanyeol and that other woman, Baekhyun did not have a helmet on. His hair was so dishevelled, sweaty from fighting, and his uniform was peppered with dust. He looked like he’d been to hell and back.

   Jeongri found herself cursing silently, regret filling her soul. Why did every meeting with him have to be so violent?

   Again, Kyungsoo pulled on her wrist.

   “Jeongri, please,” he pleaded.

   Jeongri felt Kyungsoo pull her closer, so that his body shielded hers. Softly, he placed his hands on either side of her face, willing for her to look at him, before letting his fingers slip around the back of her hair so that they stood no more than an inch apart.

   “Listen, I’m going to fight them,” Kyungsoo said, his voice was trembling, “As soon as I start, whatever happens, you need to run, okay?”

   Kyungsoo’s eyes were wide with nerves.

   “You can’t fight them alone, you’ll be outnumbered,” Jeongri said, shaking her head, “Where the hell do you want me to run too?! I’m staying right here.”

   He stared at her in silence. It was only then that Jeongri realised how shaky his breathing was. He looked like a mess too; his hair was slicked with sweat and dirt, blood was smeared across his forehead. Exhaustion radiated from his presence, but his eyes begged her to listen to him.

   Earlier, a group of demon soldiers had spotted them running into the underground railway station. Hand in hand, Kyungsoo and Jeongri crashed their way through the abandoned station, going deeper into the depths of the underground until they plummeted into the darkness that was the train platform itself. The demon soldiers laughed at them, thinking they had cornered their prey. But what they hadn’t anticipated was for Kyungsoo and Jeongri to fight back.

   It looked dire, they were outnumbered two versus ten. Kyungsoo and his Summon battered the demons, but he was taking on more than he could physically handle. Jeongri had only recently started seeing inklings of her power return, and she used what she had to support him. Still, it wasn’t enough to stop Kyungsoo taking the brunt of the damage. It was how he got that nasty, bloody gash on his forehead.

   Tears were threatening to spill from Jeongri’s eyes. She was tired of people getting hurt for her sake.

   “Kyungsoo, stop trying to protect me,” she said.

   She pulled on Kyungsoo’s hands and held them tightly in front of her chest.

   “I can protect myself,” she said, “But I need you to look after you.”

   Kyungsoo stared at her, confused at her words, “What?”

   “I won’t let you die protecting me.”

   They were so close, Jeongri could feel his breath on her skin. Kyungsoo could only look at her with a bemused expression.

   “I won’t die,” he said.

   All of a sudden, Kyungsoo was calm. His hands had stopped shaking, and he smiled at her. That smile that she loved.

   “I can’t die while you’re still by my side.”

   Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream echoed throughout the platform. Stunned, the pair turned to see Baekhyun grappling with the female soldier on the floor. Chanyeol was lying on the ground clutching his chest in agony.

   “Baekhyun, get off me!” she shouted, filled with rage.

   Baekhyun looked as though he was trying to push the woman’s hands away, but she was stronger than she looked. Her palms glowed rapidly, and suddenly Baekhyun was forced off. He flew across the platform and into the walls of the station with a deafening crack. With a loud groan, he fell like a rag doll to the tracks below. The female soldier raised her palms once more, only to be tackled by Chanyeol. Angry shouting filled the air as they rolled around the platform in a violent and frantic scuffle.

   Jeongri stared Baekhyun, but he wasn’t moving. He just lay there, eyes closed, so silent and eerily still. A rush of desperation rippled through Jeongri. She cried silently for him to get up, to prove that he was okay, but nothing was happening.

   Without thinking, she let go of Kyungsoo’s hands and ran.

   The tips of Kyungsoo’s fingers trailed across her skin before they were left desperately grasping at the air behind her. In her rush to be at Baekhyun’s side, she hadn’t the stunned and forlorn expression that was plastered across Kyungsoo’s face.

   It was faint, but Baekhyun could hear someone shouting in the distance. He felt like he was swimming in a sea of darkness, with no real goal in sight. Under the waves, a strong current kept pulling at his body despite his efforts to stay afloat. He didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, all he knew was that he had to stay above water or he could never return.

   Again, he heard the voice.

   It was frantic and distorted. Baekhyun splashed wildly, turning on the spot, trying to find where it was coming from, but the current was growing stronger. It pulled him under, and he re-emerged a few seconds later coughing and spluttering. It was then when he saw it.

   A tiny white dot on the horizon.

   Struggling against the waves, Baekhyun swam against the current, feeling exhaustion pull at every muscle. The voice grew louder, it was a female voice. With every , she became clearer.

   She was shouting his name.

   “Baekhyun!”

   The current pulled him under again, water was filling his lungs. He struggled to breathe, kicking and fighting for his life. Her voice was so clear, he had to keep swimming towards it.

   “Baekhyun!”

   Baekhyun entered the light and was instantly flooded with pain from all over his body. He groaned out loud, finally becoming conscious again, and he was vaguely aware someone was shaking him.

   “Baekhyun! Wake up, please!”

   She sounded so sad.

   With much effort, Baekhyun opened his eyes. His vision swam back into view and the blurry image of someone crouched over him filled his sight. She was cradling his head in her hands, shouting hysterically at him. Her dark hair lay messily all over her face, her eyes brimmed with tears. As his vision cleared, he felt a winded gasp leave his lips.

   It was Jeongri.

   “Wha-”

   Suddenly a sharp pain spiked in his chest, he couldn’t breathe, let alone talk. It hurt so much. He was vaguely aware that someone was fighting in the background, but he could only focus on her. How did she end up so close?

   “Baekhyun, are you okay?” stammered Jeongri, “Where does it hurt?”

   All of a sudden, Kyungsoo appeared at Jeongri’s side. He didn’t say anything as he placed his palms on Baekhyun, feeding healing magic into his body. The relief washed over Baekhyun in an instant, and he could breathe easy again, even the pain across his body was subsiding.

   “Thanks,” said Baekhyun, attempting to sit up.

   Jeongri put her hands under his arms to support him.

   “Thank you, Kyungsoo,” she said.

   But Kyungsoo didn’t reply. Instead, he stood up and walked over to where Chanyeol and Mori were still held in a physical brawl, a cold expression on his face. Kyungsoo raised one hand and flicked his wrist, pulling Chanyeol away in one fluid motion. With another flick of his wrist, Chanyeol was forced back to where Baekhyun and Jeongri were huddled together.

   “Hey, what the-” Chanyeol protested, unable to fight Kyungsoo’s hold.

   Mori stood up. Her glasses were broken, and she was injured from fighting Chanyeol. She stared at everyone with so much venom.

   “This is ridiculous!” she seethed, “This is treason!”

   She raised her palms and let out a wave of flames that roared towards Kyungsoo, but with another flick of his wrist, the flames were snuffed out in an instant. His cold expression didn’t change.

   “Really, Kyungsoo?” Mori scoffed, “You don’t want to fight me. I’ve gotten a lot stronger since you left.”

   Again, she conjured another wave of flames, this time coming at Kyungsoo from all directions. Baekhyun recoiled from the heat, but Kyungsoo flicked both his wrists, and the ground rumbled, opening up before swallowing the flames whole. He stood at the centre, illuminated from all around with heavy shadows flickering across his face.

   Internally, Baekhyun begged for Mori to give up. Kyungsoo was not someone Mori could even begin to imagine fighting on the same level as. He was sorry that she got caught in this, he was sorry for leading her down here. He never wanted to see his colleague die.

   “Mori, just run!” called out Baekhyun, “Don’t be foolish!”

   “I’m not running, Baekhyun!” Mori screamed back, “We are on a mission! I am on a mission! I will not fail when I am this close just because my squad leader became a traitor!”

   She raised her hands and ran, firing killing shots at Kyungsoo. The latter jumped, landing nimbly on his feet meters away before returning fire. The platform creaked loudly, stressed under the intense magical battle between the two former colleagues. Baekhyun and the others could only watch in horror, unable to intervene.

   Suddenly, the platform crumbled and the ceiling caved in. There was a scream as a large piece of rubble hit Mori in the head, silencing her. Her eyes glazed over and she fell down, her body limp.

   “Mori!!” shouted Baekhyun.

   He pulled himself away from Jeongri and stumbled over to where she lay. Blood was beginning to pool underneath her head. Kyungsoo rushed over too and placed his fingers on her neck.

   “She’s still alive,” Kyungsoo said quietly.

   He placed his palms on her head, and Baekhyun watched as the familiar white tendrils of healing magic engulfed Mori’s body. From behind, Jeongri and Chanyeol ran over.

   Kyungsoo’s eyes roamed across the group before they met Baekhyun’s.

   “What’s happening in Hallowmire?” he asked, “What the hell are you two doing here?”

   There was nothing friendly about the way Kyungsoo spoke to Baekhyun.

   “What?” asked Baekhyun.

   A sliver of annoyance peppered his tone. Why was Kyungsoo so cold?

   “The HLV and the demon army are looking for Jeongri,” said Chanyeol. He moved so that he stood between his two friends in an attempt to placate the situation, “The demon king wants to open the portal again