a/n: Apologies for the wait! I've been moving to a new apartment over the past week and haven't had access to my computer. Enjoy the chapter! (First chapter has now been edited.)

Part Three

Junmyeon waited. After Sehun, no one had come to visit him except for a red-cloaked guard with a tray of food, who had also helped him down the hallway to the bathroom. Junmyeon pretended to be weak and exhausted, and he’d waited for the guard to leave before eating a little and then putting the food outside.

It was nighttime now. The sky through the small window was dark, and if Junmyeon squinted a bit, he could see a star shining dimly in the distant. Junmyeon slowly got to his feet, making as little noise as possible. He padded over to the door, and put his ear to the wall.

It was silent in the hallway. Junmyeon tried to push the door open, but was unsurprised when it didn’t budge. Junmyeon picked up a small droplet of water from his palms and ran it through a crack beneath the door, inspecting the entire surface. An image of the door formed in his mind, and he realized that the door was being held shut with a latch on the outside.

A latch on the outside. Junmyeon frowned and sent the water out into the hall, turning it into mist. He couldn’t sense it hitting anything besides the walls.

Junmyeon sent a brief prayer to the tree. If he threw his weight against the door correctly, he should be able to shake the latch free. Junmyeon gritted his teeth, gathered his weight, and shoved.

The door shuddered in the frame, and Junmyeon held his breath, listening for any guards who might have been alerted by the noise. There was no sound for several minutes, and Junmyeon finally dared to push the door open.

Junmyeon wasn’t surprised when the door gave, and Junmyeon quietly stepped into the hallway. If he was properly sedated with the poison as the Red Forces would believe, there wouldn’t have been a need for a stronger mechanism or more guards stationed around his quarters.

Junmyeon quietly crept down the hallway, alertly listening for any movement. He had no idea where he was within this place because he hadn’t seen any of the compound, but his main plan was to go up to a vantage point, try and figure out where he was, and then make a move to escape.

There was a loud crash, and Junmyeon froze. It sounded like it had been close, and Junmyeon had no idea where it was. Should he run back to his cell and pretend nothing had happened?

Junmyeon heard footsteps heading towards the source of the noise, and he jumped into the shadows, quietly hiding as several red cloaked figures ran past him, their sleeves rolled back. Some of them had their hoods pushed back as well, but Junmyeon didn’t recognize any of their faces.

There was silence for two minutes after that, and just when Junmyeon thought it might be safe to start going forwards again, a group of dark figures appeared at the end of the hallway. Junmyeon remained frozen in the shadows, unsure of what to do. They weren’t wearing red cloaks, but that didn’t mean that they were allies either.

Then, one of them spoke. “We should split up.”

Junmyeon would know that voice anywhere. He stepped out of the shadows. “Minseok?”

The group froze, and then Minseok turned around. “Junmyeon?”

“It’s me.” Junmyeon strode forward and pulled the hem of his shirt away from his body to reveal his Exo tattoo. It would glow faintly in the presence of his team, as it was now.

“How did you escape?” Minseok looked relieved, and as Junmyeon gazed out at Baekhyun, Yixing, Jongdae, Zitao, Kyungsoo, and Jongin, their faces had similar expressions.

Junmyeon gave all of them a smile. “They think I’ve been poisoned, so they didn’t leave much of a guard with me.” Junmyeon let his shirt drop and caught the knife that Baekhyun tossed him in midair. “I don’t suppose anyone has any extra armor with them.”

Minseok hesitated, and then passed Junmyeon his thick, grey cloak. “That’s the best you’ll get,” Minseok said shaking his head. “We thought we’d find you in considerably worse condition.”

“It would seem that Yifan still spares a soft spot for old friends.” Junmyeon tied the cloak shut around his neck. The cloth was thick and would probably spare his skin if he fell or was kicked. “What’s the plan?”

“We’ve already taken out a small team of guards. We have a few more minutes before they notice us. There’s a forest surrounding us, and General Taeyeon is waiting with backup near the edge of the fortress.” Minseok started jogging down the corridor.

“We’re not doing anything about Luhan or Sehun?” Junmyeon jogged after him. He wasn’t sure how long his stamina would hold out—he was already a bit tired from manipulating the water, and he knew that he still had some of the poison in his system.

Minseok made a small noise. “General Taeyeon said that they’d made their choice.”

“I see.” Junmyeon followed Minseok at a steady pace, his team fanning out to surround him. “How—“

Minseok hushed him and skidded to a stop. Junmyeon stopped talking as Minseok slowly poked his head around a corner, and then gave the go ahead. There was a set of stairs, and Junmyeon felt a great sense of déjà vu as he followed Minseok down the stairs. There were scraps of red thread and red fluff everywhere, and Junmyeon had to close his eyes as visceral memories bombarded his mind.

“Junmyeon?” Minseok sounded concerned, and Junmyeon opened his eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Junmyeon forced himself to keep going.

“If it’s easier for one of us to carry you, tell me. We can’t waste any time.”

“Understood.” Junmyeon wasn’t used to having Minseok command him, but it made sense. Minseok had probably been appointed as the temporary leader in his absence.

Minseok lead them out of a door on one of the landings, and Junmyeon gasped in surprise when they stepped out into an open courtyard. Formidable grey walls rose up on all four sides of the courtyard, and on each floor, there were balconies and torches lit. Few people were out and about, but as Junmyeon and his brothers stood in the shadows, they would be easily looked over.

“What now?” Junmyeon murmured.

“There’s an underground entrance,” Minseok said softly. “We’ll go out through there.”

Junmyeon hesitated. Underground entrances were often quite narrow, and there was a huge risk for a bottleneck to occur. Junmyeon didn’t want to question Minseok’s leadership, and Minseok undoubtedly knew the layout of the fortress far better than Junmyeon, but still—

There was an explosion of movement, and all eight of them jumped apart from each other as a huge rock landed and shattered directly where they’d been crouched in the shadows moments before.

Junmyeon froze, his heart beating fast as he watched Yixing and Minseok run towards one corner of the courtyard while Baekhyun, Jongdae and Kyungsoo began flinging attacks at a group of three red figures who had appeared in the courtyard. Junmyeon turned to the side and saw Zitao and Jongin running towards him, their eyes wide, when Junmyeon suddenly whipped around.

Yifan stood behind him, his posture relaxed and his shoulders slouched as he gazed out at the scene playing out before him. “So you managed to escape.”

Junmyeon drew his knife. “Yes.”

“You didn’t want to wait until tomorrow for your decision.” Yifan sighed heavily, and didn’t move even as Junmyeon raised his knife threateningly. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“You knew this would happen.” Junmyeon sneered, even as he felt Zitao and Jongin stop right behind him. “Bait from one side to the other, am I right?”

“We knew General Taeyeon wouldn’t send anyone after just Sehun and Luhan. But you—she certainly would. She couldn’t risk losing her rising star of a commander, and Headmaster Kim would’ve been displeased to lose his apprentice so close to the start of your training.” Yifan stood up straighter, his shoulders tensing as Jongin and Zitao moved forward to stand level with Junmyeon.

“Yifan,” Jongin murmured. “Is that…?”

“Yifan is on the wrong side now, boys.” Junmyeon glared at Yifan. “Don’t forget that.”

“We wouldn’t forget,” Zitao said in a low voice.

“Zitao,” Yifan said gently. “I’ve missed you.”

A sudden bolt of understanding struck Junmyeon, and the hairs on his arms raised. Junmyeon nudged Jongin’s side and pressed a set of hand signals into Jongin’s palm.

Jongin lunged for Zitao at the same time as Yifan. There was a flash of light, and Junmyeon gaped in horror when he realized that Jongin had been just one second too late.

“He’s going to collect the rest of his team,” Junmyeon said softly. “Of course. Bait for the other side…”

“I’ll get to Jongdae.” Jongin looked troubled. “I’ve never seen Yifan do that before.”

“Apparently it’s a new technique.” Junmyeon turned to face Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Jongdae who were still fighting. “Will you be able to manage?”

“Just don’t get kidnapped again while I’m gone.” Jongin vanished in a swirl of shadows, and Junmyeon melted into the shadows of the courtyard, trying to make his way towards Yixing and Minseok unnoticed.

Junmyeon was so close—he was a few feet away, and he opened his mouth to call out to the others when a large hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

Junmyeon lashed out and tried to break free, but Yifan clamped one hand over his mouth and the other around his waist.

“Foolish,” Yifan murmured in his ear, even as Junmyeon kicked and tried to break free. “You should’ve called out sooner.”

Junmyeon bit Yifan’s hand and Yifan’s grip slacked for a moment. Junmyeon shouted, and Yixing’s head shot up, his eyes scanning around the courtyard. Their eyes connected, and Yixing grabbed Minseok, pointing towards them.

Junmyeon could feel his strength fading fast—he was still weakened by the poison, both physically and magically. Junmyeon stopped kicking and let his weight rest against Yifan when Minseok got to his feet and started running towards them.

Junmyeon couldn’t really tell what Yixing and Minseok were doing, but he guessed that they were trying to open the entrance. Junmyeon wasn’t sure what was taking them so long, but as Minseok hurled shards of ice at Yifan, Yifan dropped him and flew up into the air.

Junmyeon coughed and began crawling to get behind Minseok.

“Go help Yixing,” Minseok barked. “I’ll handle Yifan for now.”

“Yifan’s trying to get Jongdae,” Junmyeon said weakly. “Can you signal to the others?”

“Is someone on top of it?” Minseok covered them in a shell of ice for a moment as knives rained down from the sky. He let the shield drop after a few moments and threw an answering attack.

“Jongin is.”

“I’ll back him up when I’m done with Yifan.”

Junmyeon nodded and slowly got to his feet, making his way to Yixing. This was not a position he’d ever want his team to be in—Yixing was a valuable asset for either side, as he could heal any wound. Normally, Yixing would have at least two of them guarding him, and Junmyeon nearing the edge of his strength was a poor substitute.

“Someone placed a seal over the entrance,” Yixing said grimly. “They knew we were coming.”

“This is my fault,” Junmyeon murmured, tracing the inked pattern of the seal. If they could break the seal in the right places with a slash of ink or a crack in the stone, then they would be able to open the entrance. However, if they chose the wrong spot, the characters written across the stone implied that the entire courtyard would go up in flames. “I should’ve tried to break out sooner.”

Yixing shook his head. “How could you have known that this was the true aim of the Red Forces?” He hesitated for a moment. “We could just break the seal. It would put a big dent in the fortress.”

“We would all die, and there’s no need for that yet.” Junmyeon sat back and scanned the seal, furiously trying to find the solution. “I don’t know if we’ll have time for a counter seal.”

Yixing sprang to his feet and pulled out his knife. “Behind you.”

Junmyeon ducked as Yixing threw the blade, and he got to his feet. Yifan stood before him, and Junmyeon felt his heart sink when he saw that somehow, Minseok had been pulled into the fight with Jongdae, Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, and Jongin. More members of the Red Forces had appeared in the courtyard as their battle drew attention, and the five of them were fighting for their lives.

Junmyeon grit his teeth. If he was at his normal strength, the tide of the battle would have been turned easily, but the fact of the situation was that he was seriously weakened. If Yifan wanted to take Yixing with him, Junmyeon wasn’t totally sure he could stop him.

Luckily, Jongin saw them. Junmyeon quietly hoped that Jongin would be able to leave the fight to the others, even if it meant leaving Jongdae briefly unattended.

“Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon’s eyes snapped back to Yifan.

“I can see the gears in your head turning.” Yifan gestured towards the entrance. “You’re trapped here. You can’t win this one. Stop fighting.”

“You’ll have to kill me to make me stop fighting,” Junmyeon said calmly. Jongin suddenly materialized behind Yifan, a wooden staff in his hand raised to strike.

To everyone’s surprise, Yifan whirled around and engaged Jongin in hand-to-hand combat. Junmyeon had been hoping that Jongin would be able to sneak up on Yifan and take care of him without a fuss, but Yifan seemed to have sensed his presence. Junmyeon continued to go over the seal in his mind even as he and Yixing stood poised to strike at Yifan if Jongin created an opening.

Suddenly, it came to him. Junmyeon whirled around and dropped down beside the entrance stone. He summoned what energy he could and coated the knife in a sleeve of rushing water. He didn’t know if this would work or not, and Junmyeon sent a quick prayer to the Tree before stabbing downwards.

There was a flash of light and a bang, and Junmyeon found himself flying backwards through the air, his knife flying out of his hand. Junmyeon landed heavily on his back, and slowly sat up, wincing as pain lanced through his body. He smiled in satisfaction when he saw that the seal on the stone had vanished, and Yixing was crouched by the stone, heaving it up and out of place.

Junmyeon slowly got to his feet, urging his body to move as quickly as it could. He couldn’t see Yifan and Jongin anywhere, and Junmyeon began moving towards the entrance again.

Yixing was hesitating, glancing out at the courtyard. The blast had affected the larger battle—the members of the Red Forces were lying still on the ground, and Junmyeon could see Minseok urging Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Jongdae back to their feet.

Minseok was jogging towards them with the team. Junmyeon felt a small rush of relief as he looked around. Everything was going to be okay, they were going to make it out—

There was a flash of light, and suddenly Yifan and Jongin reappeared in the courtyard, grappling with one another. Yifan was driving down towards Jongin’s throat with a knife in hand, and Junmyeon screamed.

Yifan startled, and Jongin rolled out of the way, jumping to his feet and kicking out at Yifan’s head. Then he was gone, reappearing at Yixing’s side in a burst of shadows.

Yifan bared his teeth at them, his face bloodied and bruised as the seven of them stood at the entrance. “I won’t let you leave!”

“Jongin, take Yixing and Jongdae,” Junmyeon said quietly as Minseok stepped forward. “They’re who the Red Forces want.”

Jongin nodded and clasped hands with Yixing and Jongdae. Jongin’s powers could take him anywhere in the world, but once he started picking up passengers, the strength of his powers diminished greatly. Junmyeon didn’t know how far away General Taeyeon was, but even giving the three of them a head start was better than nothing.

And then, out of nowhere, a huge presence appeared in the courtyard. Junmyeon felt a wave of nausea pass over him, but he stood his ground, frantically looking around. The energy pressed down on him, trying to force him to his knees, but Junmyeon refused. Sweat formed at the back of his neck and his legs trembled, but Junmyeon refused to submit to the overwhelming magical presence that surrounded him.

Finally, it withdrew slightly, and Junmyeon found it easier to breathe. He looked around, and felt a beat of shock when he saw that everyone had fallen to the ground.

“How interesting.”

Junmyeon raised his eyes, and saw a red-cloaked figure. Her magical energy had manifested so strongly that it had taken the physical shape of bright red enormous butterfly wings emanating from her back.

“You’re her.” Junmyeon knew without a doubt that this was the woman who had come and threatened him earlier that day. “You were there, before.”

“Yes.” She made no move to pull her hood back, and simply stood, gazing at the eight of them. “I went to collect Yifan myself two years ago.”

“You were the cause of all of this?” Junmyeon could barely contain his rage, what little magical energy he had stirring within him. This woman, standing so serenely before him, had caused his entire world to fall apart?

“Not all of it,” the figure said calmly. “Your Headmaster made quite a few mistakes. The old man is losing his touch.”

“Headmaster Kim?” Junmyeon echoed blankly. He supposed that was true—it was Headmaster Kim’s decision that had lead Sehun to defecting, after all.

“Yes.” The red figure looked away from Junmyeon, and down at Yifan who had collapsed to the ground. “Yifan.”

“I failed you,” Yifan whispered. Junmyeon could see the effort that it took Yifan to even move his lips. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve done well,” the red figure said. “I’ll take it from here.” She lifted her arms, and the red wings on her back lifted up.

“No!” Junmyeon didn’t know how he did it. He was barely standing upright, but somehow, he found the strength to stand in front of his brothers and spread his arms. He knew it was useless—that whatever she wanted to do, she would do. Him standing in the way wouldn’t stop her…but his body had moved on its own.

“No?” She echoed, amusement coloring her voice. “What will you do to stop me?”

They both paused when they heard a rustling noise come from the tunnel. Junmyeon blinked in surprise; the tunnel had felt empty. Junmyeon hadn’t sensed anything approaching them from the other side, and yet…

“Headmaster Kim?” Junmyeon gaped in astonishment as a wiry, white-haired man climbed out of the entrance.

“Junmyeon,” the headmaster acknowledged him. He turned away, and Junmyeon fell over when a huge surge of power filled the courtyard. The Headmaster had manifested his magical energy into the form of a pair of white doves’ wings that hovered at his shoulder blades.

“Take your comrades and go,” the Headmaster instructed him, his eyes trained on the red figure. “I’ll take it from here.”

Junmyeon slowly pushed himself to his knees. He knew how to handle this—he took a deep breath and forced himself to be calm, and allow the energy to rush over him like water over a river bed.

Headmaster Kim stepped forward and began to speak to the red woman. Junmyeon quietly crawled forward until he was next to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun looked at him with awe and admiration—something Junmyeon hadn’t seen from him in a long time.

“You have to get into the tunnel,” Junmyeon said softly. “You can move. You can do it. Hold my hand.” Junmyeon took Baekhyun’s hand and quietly enveloped them in a shell of his own energy, protecting Baekhyun from the worst of it. Junmyeon quietly helped Baekhyun crawl into the tunnel, and then started going back for the others.

Keeping an ear out on the conversation while helping his team get back to the tunnel was incredibly difficult. Junmyeon was sweating profusely and breathing harshly as he finally crawled towards Jongdae and Minseok who had fallen to the ground, side-by-side.

“The fight will be passed down beyond us,” the woman was saying. “You and I are at odds, but what do you think will happen with our apprentices?”

Junmyeon froze in place. Would they really pit him against Yifan?

“I think you might be surprised,” Headmaster Kim said calmly. “They were close, once.”

“I agree that Yifan was unusually soft towards Junmyeon,” the red woman said calmly. “But after this, he will learn to change.”

“You are blind,” Headmaster Kim said, shaking his head.

The red woman sneered, and Junmyeon fell back to the task at hand. He helped Minseok get back to the tunnel, and started crawling towards Jongdae.

“Not so fast, Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon froze in place, unable to move a muscle even as he strained towards Jongdae.

“You could only stand and move because I allowed it, but no more.” The red figure began to walk forwards, and Headmaster Kim moved to stand in front of him.

“Yifan asked that he be reunited with his brothers, and I will grant his wish.” The red figure lifted her arms and pointed at Jongdae and Yifan. To Junmyeon’s horror, they floated off of the ground towards her, away from his grasping hands.

A weak sob escaped past Junmyeon’s throat, and he fell onto his elbows when she released her hold on him.

“You are unusual, Junmyeon,” the woman proclaimed, “But you will fall against Yifan’s pure talent.”

“We’ll see about that,” Headmaster Kim said dryly.

The woman snorted and turned away, her red wings quivering in place on her back. “I have what I want. You are free to go.”

Junmyeon struggled to his feet and tried to lunge forwards, towards her, towards Jongdae, towards Yifan—

But Headmaster Kim caught him, easily holding him back. Tears streamed down Junmyeon’s face as Headmaster Kim dragged him back into the tunnel, his wings vanishing as they fell into the darkness.

The rest of his team were huddled further down the tunnel, illuminated by a ball of Baekhyun’s light.

“Junmyeon!” Minseok jumped to his feet, and then stopped. “Headmaster Kim.” He bowed, and the other boys followed suit.

“Don’t stand on formalities.” In the stark white light, Headmaster Kim suddenly looked more old and weary than Junmyeon had ever seen him. “Let’s go back.”

“Jongdae?” Jongin asked hesitantly.

Junmyeon shook his head bitterly and rubbed at his eyes when tears started to drip down his cheeks again.

Silently, they began to walk down the tunnel. Junmyeon knew what awaited him on the other side—treatment for the others. Interrogation and probably demotion for himself. He had failed to keep his team safe, and now Jongdae and Zitao were lost to the Red Forces as well.

Junmyeon didn’t understand. The Red Forces obviously had great elemental users in their ranks, from what he’d seen. Why had they taken Jongdae and Zitao away? The red woman had mentioned something about Yifan’s request, but Junmyeon himself didn’t understand why Yifan would want them back. If Yifan had wanted unimaginable power, then he would be able to lead his own team of stronger warriors from within the Red Forces.

Nothing made sense. Junmyeon’s head throbbed, and he stumbled as they continued down the tunnel. Minseok paused, and then crouched down, urging Junmyeon onto his back.

Junmyeon closed his eyes as fatigue washed over him. His muscles ached, and his head pounded. He let his head rest on Minseok’s shoulder and welcomed the empty darkness as he fell unconscious.

When Junmyeon woke up, the first thing he saw was the Headmaster sitting serenely by his bedside.

“Headmaster…”

“From now on, you should address me as ‘Master’. We will begin your training tonight.” The man moved to pour Junmyeon a glass of water. Junmyeon drank it eagerly, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he was finished. He felt good—stronger than he had in days. Yixing had probably dropped in to look at him.

“Thank you, Master.” Junmyeon slowly sat up. “How long have I been unconscious?”

“I had them perform the interrogation techniques on you while you slept. You’ve been asleep for nearly two days.” Headmaster Kim got to his feet. “Settle what you must by this evening. We leave at nightfall.”

“Where will we go?” Junmyeon swung his legs over the edge of the cot as Headmaster Kim walked towards the entrance of the tent. “I thought we wouldn’t be starting for at least two more months.”

Headmaster Kim paused. “Times are changing,” he said at last. “Don’t bring anything with you. I will have everything you will need.”

Junmyeon sighed in frustration as the tent flaps shuddered shut. Where were they going? How long would they be gone for? The man was enigmatic by nature, but sometimes, he was too much.

Junmyeon dressed himself and reported to General Taeyeon.

“Commander Suho.” Taeyeon looked at him gravely. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Junmyeon laughed bitterly, but didn’t say anything else.

“You appear to have gained the eye of the Red Forces. We think it’s best if you lay low for a while. Master Kim has agreed to take you away for training for a few months.”

“Master?” Junmyeon echoed. “You were his student too?”

“Only briefly,” Taeyeon said, smiling.

“What about my team?” Junmyeon’s shoulders slumped.

“They will also be out of commission.” General Taeyeon shook her head. “It’s a shame. We haven’t had soldiers like you for a long time. But it’s what the Emperor himself has declared, so we must bow to it.”

“I see.” Junmyeon sighed and got to his feet. “Are they still here?”

“Yes. They aren’t leaving until tomorrow.” General Taeyeon rose to her feet as well. “Good luck with your studies, Suho.”

Junmyeon saluted her and left the tent, his heart heavy. It was time to confront his teammates, and he really wasn’t looking forward to it.

Junmyeon strolled to the edge of the camp, gazing out at the mountains. He wondered if Master Kim would take him back home to those mountains for his training. Or would they stay here? Junmyeon turned around and gazed out at the sprawl of tents and soldiers in dark green uniforms hurrying to and fro.

It all seemed so meaningless now. Junmyeon had lost half of his team to the enemy. He’d failed his family when they needed him most, and now the enemy had five new, powerful members in their ranks.

Junmyeon sat down and crossed his legs, burying his face in his palms. How had it come to this? Where had he gone wrong?

“Junmyeon?”

Junmyeon flinched and looked up. “Baekhyun?”

“There you are. We all went in to check on you this morning, but you weren’t there.” Baekhyun sat down beside him.

“Where are the others?” Junmyeon straightened his back as Baekhyun slouched beside him.

“They’ll find us eventually,” Baekhyun shrugged. Junmyeon nodded, and they sat in silence for a while, the wind washing over them and the camp bustling behind them.

“It’s not your fault, you know?” Baekhyun leaned back on his hands. “And don’t say “what are you talking about”—I know that’s what you’re thinking. It’s the same as when Yifan and Chanyeol left.”

Junmyeon swallowed harshly and stayed silent.

“You couldn’t have known that Yifan would leave us, two years ago. You couldn’t have known that they’d target the others now.” Baekhyun picked up a piece of grass and began shredding it between his fingers. “Even if you’d tried to escape before we came for you, the Red Forces would’ve just beaten you up and put you back in your cell. They were eager to get the others.” Baekhyun dusted the grass off of his pants.

“I did know that Yifan would leave,” Junmyeon blurted out. He hadn’t told them before, and Minseok had kept quiet. “I knew. I didn’t…couldn’t stop him.”

“When Yifan makes a decision, it’s nearly impossible to change his mind,” Baekhyun said calmly, looking unsurprised. “If you really did know, then whenever you found out was probably too late. You aren’t responsible for everything that goes wrong with us, Junmyeon. We’re all living, breathing humans making decisions that lead us to our fates. Sometimes, you just have to accept that.”

“Fate,” Junmyeon snorted. “I guess I could call it that. But wouldn’t that be the easy way out?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “The Red Forces were going to get the six of them, one way or another.”

Junmyeon hummed in acknowledgement. He grateful that Baekhyun was being so calm—normally, their roles were reversed.

Baekhyun got to his feet and waved. “Over here!” he called out. Junmyeon twisted around and saw Kyungsoo, Yixing, Minseok and Jongin jogging towards them.

“Junmyeon!” Jongin dropped into a crouch in front of him. “You had us so worried when you left your tent this morning! We almost thought you’d gotten kidnapped again.”

Junmyeon smiled at that. “I had to report to General Taeyeon.” He gently wiped a smudge of dirt off of Jongin’s forehead. “Were you all practicing?”

Jongin nodded. “We’ve all been discharged, for now.” He straightened up and offered Junmyeon a hand. “It’s hard to believe. I thought we’d be serving forever.”

Junmyeon nodded. “They think we’re targets. Apparently it was orders from the Emperor himself.”

Minseok whistled lowly at that. “They probably would’ve kept us on the front lines if it’d been anyone else.”

Junmyeon nodded. “I won’t be surprised if Yixing gets called into a military hospital,” Junmyeon said dryly.

“I wouldn’t either,” Yixing said quietly, his gaze clear and direct. “Junmyeon…no one here blames you. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Junmyeon admitted, a lump forming in his throat. His brothers would never blame him for anything, and somehow, that made it even worse. “I know you won’t.”

“You shouldn’t blame yourself either,” Yixing said gently. “Yifan has been past our reach for years. You couldn’t have thought that things would change now.”

“I didn’t,” Junmyeon said softly. It was a lie—he had hoped that things might be different. That maybe, the feelings that Yifan held for him would change his mind.

“You’re lying.” Yixing shook his head. “You’ll find a way to move on, someday.”

“Someday,” Junmyeon agreed quietly. “Someday.”

“We heard that Headmaster Kim is taking you with him tonight.” Kyungsoo changed the subject, and Junmyeon felt a pang of relief.

“Yes.” Junmyeon sighed. “It seems like they’re splitting the six of us up for now.”

“We’ll be back together again before you know it,” Kyungsoo said determinedly. “We’re the best team they’ve got.”

“Yes,” Junmyeon said softly. “We are.”

They gazed at each other, quiet pride and love shining in their eyes. Junmyeon couldn’t have felt more proud of his brothers as they stood together now—even as he crumbled, they were each trying to support him in their own way. How could he have gotten this lucky when it came to his family?

The sun was getting close to the horizon, and Junmyeon turned away from the camp to look at the forest.

“I’m going on a walk. Alone.” Junmyeon stepped away. “If I’m not back in an hour, come find me.”

Minseok nodded in acknowledgement, and the five of them headed into camp while Junmyeon set off towards the forest. Soon, it would be time for him to leave with Headmaster Kim. He didn’t know when he would be back. He should collect his thoughts and clear them now, and leaving his mind open and receptive for training.

Junmyeon had only been in this forest a couple of times—his team had been constantly running missions during their two years in the army, and they rarely had time to explore the area around the camp.

Junmyeon ducked under a low-hanging branch. It was probably foolish to go out into the woods when he had just been deemed a target, but Junmyeon wanted to cherish this last bit of precious time by himself.

Junmyeon continued deeper into the forest. If he remembered right, there was a hill overlooking a small glade. It would be a good place to gather his composure.

There was a rustling to his left, and Junmyeon froze. He slowly took a step back—maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Junmyeon turned around to go back to camp, and found himself face-to-face with Yifan.

“You!” Junmyeon drew his dagger and stabbed towards Yifan instinctively.

Yifan twisted out of the way. “I can understand where you’re coming from.”

“Jongdae and Zitao,” Junmyeon said, breathing heavily. “What have you done to them?”

“Junmyeon, wait one second!” Yifan moved out of the way as Junmyeon began attacking him with a ball of water.

“Wait?” Junmyeon’s laugh came out harshly as he chased after Yifan, deeper and deeper into the woods. “Why should I wait? You stole them from me! From us!”

“Junmyeon!” Yifan fell on him from above, pinning him to the ground. With a start, Junmyeon realized that only a few steps more, and he would’ve fallen into a wide crevasse running through the crest of the hill.

Junmyeon lay limply, breathing heavily for a few moments. Trees blocked them from view from all sides, and ahead was an open area. No one would see them here.

Junmyeon didn’t feel any killing intent from Yifan, even as the older pinned him to the ground, firmly holding him in place. If anything, Yifan had actually saved him from falling to his death.

Junmyeon relaxed fully, and Yifan slowly released the pressure on his wrists.

“I don’t understand,” Junmyeon said truthfully.

Yifan tilted his head to the side. “What don’t you understand?”

“You’re the enemy.” Junmyeon frowned. “You said so yourself, back at the fortress. But…you just saved my life. You aren’t here to kill me. What do you want?”

Yifan sighed and leaned back, his weight firm on Junmyeon’s legs. “Don’t you know, Junmyeon?”

“Don’t I know what?” Junmyeon frowned. He stared up at Yifan’s face, his head framed by the thick green boughs of the trees above him. For a wild, longing moment, Junmyeon ached to remember Yifan like this—not as an enemy, but as someone he loved, beautifully surrounded by nature.

“I’m going to keep finding you and seeing you like this, alone.” Yifan’s gaze burned into him, and Junmyeon resisted the urge to shiver.

“Why?” Junmyeon asked softly.

Yifan leaned down, putting his hands on either side of Junmyeon’s head. “Because I love you,” he murmured against Junmyeon’s mouth, “And I can’t seem to stop.”

Junmyeon’s eyes widened and his face went beet red when Yifan sealed their lips in a kiss—but he didn’t move to push Yifan away or start fighting him again. Instead, after a moment, Junmyeon closed his eyes and very hesitantly kissed back.

Yifan drew back after a moment, and Junmyeon felt the flush in his cheeks start to die down. “Yifan,” Junmyeon said softly, uncertainly. He hadn’t expected anything so soft and tender from the cold, ambitious man leaning over him. He’d never seen this side of Yifan before in his entire life.

“You’re the only thing that’s kept me sane in the Red Forces,” Yifan said honestly, leaning back again. Junmyeon sat up, and Yifan rolled off of his legs to sit next to him. “The twisted things they make us do…it would be enough to destroy anyone. And most of the magic users there are either brainwashed into fervor, or are dead on the inside.”

“And yet,” Junmyeon said softly, “You insisted on recruiting your old team. That’s what The General said, didn’t she? She said that it was all a favor to you.”

“Yes,” Yifan said after a moment. “I…I had to do it. You’ll understand, eventually.”

“Eventually,” Junmyeon scoffed, picking at the dirt beneath his hands. “I don’t know if I ever will.”

“This war won’t go on forever.” Yifan leaned back on his hands with an easy grace. “And even if it goes past our lifetimes…I think you will.”

Junmyeon hummed in acknowledgement. “You think they’ll be able to stand it?”

“That’s part of why I had to recruit all of them.” Yifan sighed and crossed his legs. “Together, if they depend on each other, they can do it. They’ll make it out alright.”

“I see.” Junmyeon drew his knees to his chest. “I don’t know if I can forgive you for this.”

Yifan didn’t seem surprised. “I understand,” was all he said.

Silence stretched out over them for a few minutes. Junmyeon wasn’t sure how much longer they had—someone was bound to notice the burst of power from their fight. A scout would probably show up here, sooner or later.

“I’m going away for training tonight.” Junmyeon shifted so that he was leaning on one palm, facing Yifan. “I don’t know how long I’ll be away.”

“I see.” Yifan seemed resigned. “I would have been shocked if Headmaster Kim hesitated after that attack.”

“You shouldn’t try to find me while I’m away,” Junmyeon said quietly. “I don’t know what he’d do to you.”

Yifan made a noncommittal sound.

“Yifan,” Junmyeon said insistently. “Promise me you won’t.”

“I won’t make any promises,” Yifan said quietly. “I told you, I can’t seem to stop.”

Junmyeon closed his eyes and kissed Yifan again, urgency and fear rising up in his blood and coiling in his heart. Yifan lifted a hand to reach behind him and spread out on his spine, pulling him closer, and Junmyeon reveled in the feeling of Yifan surrounding him.

They both felt it at the same time and drew back. The faintest essence of magical energy was heading towards them. A scout had been sent out and was probably following the path of destruction Junmyeon had left in his wake.

“I’ll see you again,” Yifan said quietly, his eyes filled with determination. “Whether it’s a month or a year from now, I’ll see you again.”

“Yes,” Junmyeon said softly. “You will.”

Yifan drew his cloak firmly around his shoulders and launched himself into the tree canopy above them, twisting and darting to avoid the branches. Junmyeon began walking away from their spot to meet the scout, whose energy was becoming clearer as he drew closer and closer.

Junmyeon located the scout with little difficulty and raised a hand in warm greeting. “I apologize,” he said quietly. “I was just blowing off some steam. I didn’t mean to raise any alarms.”

The scout shook his head at him, and they started running back towards the camp together.

Night was beginning to fall, and Junmyeon saw Master Kim standing at the edge of the camp, his arms folded as he spoke to General Taeyeon. His team was standing off to the side, and Junmyeon jogged towards them to say one final goodbye.

He didn’t know where his training would take him. He didn’t know how far, or how hard Master Kim would push him. He probably wouldn’t be the same by the time they were finished.

Junmyeon thought of Yifan, and he smiled. Even if he wasn’t the same, he had a feeling that his friends and Yifan would accept him as he was, no matter what.

a/n: So I think we're about halfway through the story now! Junmyeon managed to escape, but he lost some important team members in the process :( And Yifan reveals his true intentions! I had a lot of fun writing that last scene. Also, I just wanted to clarify--General Taeyeon is not the same as The General of the Red Forces. The General (who is only referred to as "her" or "The General") is the leader of the Red Forces. Taeyeon is Suho's military commander. Our next chapter will pick up after a bit of time has passed. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and comments are always highly appreciated!