Taehyung grabbed me and pulled me across the Veil with him. I yanked my arm away, shivering. "I can Cross on my own, jackass."

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I know where we're going, not you." he held his hand out for me to take. I didn't take it, instead looking at him in teasing distaste, and he scoffed. "Come on, we don't got all night, Kimmy."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." he said, smirking confidently. "Don't you trust me, Kimmy?"

The question gave me pause. Did I? What kind of stupid question was that? I was platonically bonded with Taehyung for life, and no matter how much of a he was, or how we teased and fed off each other like oil and fire, I trusted him. Liked him, even! But did that mean I was stupid enough to think he wouldn't pull a fast one on me? No.

"Of course I do." I answered. "But if this turns into a prank..."

Taehyung sighed. "It won't. I was feeling strangely sincere and... helpful..." he shuddered. "...tonight. Now c'mon."

I chuckled, and took his hand. We stepped forwards, and the Veil dissolved and reappeared around us. We were in a massive empty field. Taehyung and I Crossed back to our world. I looked around. I saw mountains in the distance, and it was a little chillier than normal. "Where are we?" I asked as Taehyung stared stoically out into the distance.

"We're in Tibet." Taehyung said. "Basically in the middle of - nowhere. No one will notice we're here."

I shivered. "I should've brought a coat."

Taehyung chuckled. "Once your blood gets flowing, you won't be cold."

"And how's my blood gonna get flowing?" I asked, blowing into my hands and rubbing my arms.

Taehyung cast a spell, and he was suddenly holding a flaming scythe. "We're going to fight."

"I have no weapons!" I said, but I immediately sunk into a battle-ready stance. I felt the familiar weight of my Grim in my pocket, the closest thing to a weapon I had.

"You have magic!" Taehyung snapped. "Make some!" 

My mind raced and my heart pounded. I understood the theory of how to summon an elemental weapon. It was essentially the same as a hammer spell, just a slight difference in the phrasing of the spell. Instead of hammering an element into someone, you were supposed to think of making an element be something, like a sword or a knife or a bow and arrows. But all I knew was theory, from when I was taught the basics!

Taehyung charged at me, swinging the scythe. Adrenaline sharpened my mind, and my brain cleared of any and all thought. I just did. I cast a shield spell and rolled out of the way as the scythe got caught in and eventually tore through the shield. Taehyung kept approaching with his scythe. The fiery blade smoked and hissed as it made contact with the tall mountain grass around us. He raised the blade. I took a deep breath. Everything slowed down. I saw the red blade, nearly blending into the sundown, and I saw it come closer and closer to me. And suddenly, I was calm. I cast a shield spell, and I breathed. Mul. I thought, breathing in. Water. I saw blue mist surround me, and I watched in slow motion as the fiery blade got stuck in the blue mist for a split second before it and Taehyung were flung back. My wall was still intact. Taehyung was soaking wet.

In the back of my mind I was concerned. It was getting colder fast out here, and being sopping wet wouldn't help in our quest to not die tonight, but I had other things on my mind, because Taehyung wasn't done. He charged at me again. I knew his sickle would get stuck in the wall again, but I also knew the wall wouldn't last forever. I needed a weapon.

"Mulgeom!" I said, and a sword of water appeared in my hand. It didn't feel wet in my hand, but it was water. It refracted the light of dusk on the grass, and little water drops dripped from the tip. I brought the blade up and swung it to meet Taehyung's sickle. The blades hissed and smoke rose from where the blades touched. Through the smoke, I saw Taehyung grinning his usual smug, sarcastic grin at me.

"That the best you can do, Kimmy?" He said, breathing heavy. I brought my leg up and kicked him in the gut. Taehyung was never willing to fight physical. It was probably his greatest weakness, aside from his arrogance. It knocked the air right out of him and that ing grin off his face. He stumbled backwards, barely keeping himself from falling over. I swung my sword around, aiming to knock his scythe out of his hand.

"Mangchi-bul!" Taehyung gasped, shoving forward his free hand and pushing a ball of fire into my wall, shattering it. The force of it had me stumbling back, giving Taehyung enough time to get steady on his feet. We stood facing each other, Taehyung shivering in the cold, me shivering from adrenaline. Chests heaving, sizing the other up. Who would move next, what move would they use? Taehyung feinted left, I moved right. I cast another shield spell.

And then, I did something stupid.

I wasn't thinking. I wasn't thinking. This was basic elemental rock-paper-scissors, and I wasn't thinking about it. Adrenaline, wanting to win - honestly, I don't know what made me do it. Maybe it was because I knew he'd be okay? But I wasn't even thinking about him being okay. I wasn't thinking. I was doing.

"Mangchi-jeongi!" I said, and a rod of electricity appeared in my free hand. My version of the spell was the imperfect version, a rod instead of a ball. I had to throw it instead of it going to Taehyung all on its own. And so I threw it. I realized the split second after the rod had left my fingertips that I'd just thrown a rod of electricity at a sopping wet Taehyung. But it was too late to do anything, because I could see it, moving in slow motion, towards Taehyung. I saw Taehyung's eyes get wide and I saw a nanosecond of panic before he knocked the rod aside with his scythe. My eyes followed the rod as I came to terms with what I'd almost done. Holy . I'd almost electrocuted a soaking wet Taehyung! What was wrong with me?!

I was brought back to the present situation by Taehyung knocking my shield away with his scythe. He tackled me to the ground before I could counter his attack, and next thing I knew I was seeing stars as I looked up at T