“Why do you leave me?” Ricky asked, saying something for the first time to Hye Rin. The young girl looked at him with a perplexed look.

“You’ve noticed?” She changed the bandage on his forehead and examined his lip. The bruising had gone down. It only looked fat, save for a small cut. He nodded.

“I just don’t like being alone,” he muttered. “I hate being alone. It means I’m… I’m not strong enough.”

Hye Rin had no idea what to say. She only put away her first aid kit in silence. When she was done with that, she stared at him. She still didn’t say anything. Then, a yell broke though the silence. It was calling out for Ricky. 

“Hyung?” he asked, bewildered. Hye Rin didn’t give that yell a chance, though. She went straight to work. She had set up a disguise system around Ricky, so no one could find him. Instantly, they were surrounded by bush and sticks and branches. “No, stop. I know who that is.”

“I’m not risking it,” she said, perhaps for the first time in her life. She always took risks but not with him. She couldn’t lose him. He gave her a sort of peace when she was with him. A feeling of belonging while she took care of him. Ricky was the same way but he wanted to go back home. He wanted to go to where everything was familiar and comfortable. He wanted his old safe feeling back. He was amazed by this new feeling but he missed home. 

“Ricky!” the same voice yelled. Then it became hushed. Ricky heard it but couldn’t really decipher what he was saying. All he heard was ‘smell him’. He immediately knew it was C.A.P. Hopefully, he could find Ricky. Then he could go home. 

All was still for what seemed like an eternity. There were no woodland noises. There was only the silence and it stretched on. Ricky held his breath. That’s when he got a burning sensation in his nose. It itched and tickled. No matter how hard he tried to compress it, it wouldn’t go away. He had to… had to…

“Achoo!”

 The sneeze ripped through the silence. It echoed into the forest and caused Hye Rin to glare at him with all her strength. He felt like her eyes were digging his grave for him. He didn’t feel good at all. Then, her eyes went wide as she looked at something behind him. 

He looked back. He saw familiar shoes. And familiar pants. He could tell they were C.A.P’s because he remembered writing ‘Property of Ricky’ in black permanent marker by the knee. Ricky remembered the day. He was so bored that he found a marker and started writing ‘Property of Ricky’ on everything. He just happened to get his hands on C.A.P’s pants.

“Ricky, what are you doing in a bush with a girl?” the werewolf asked. Ricky’s face flushed.

“Yah, it’s not what it looks like. Hye Rin was protecting me and she set up this disguise! And, and, and…” Ricky stopped when he couldn’t think of anything else to say. C.A.P laughed.

“I didn’t even mean it like that, dongsaeng,” he said. Hye Rin had a playful smile dancing on her lips as she watched the two. Ricky became even more red as he stammered over his next words. 

“W-Well… be more… specific!” Ricky managed to get out.

“Okay, fine. What are you doing here, in the middle of nowhere, with a girl, and not at home with your family?” he asked instead. Ricky’s skin finally returned to normal and his speech was semi-normal.

“Well, you see, I was flying! And then, and then I fell down into the trees and hurt myself real bad. She helped me get better by taking care of me! This is the first time that I actually could talk, C.A.P hyung!” he exclaimed in a rush. Hye Rin barely managed to get any syllables from him. Luckily, the older boy understood. 

“You were flying? Ricky, did Ziz come out?” C.A.P asked, his voice full of concern. Hye Rin couldn’t help but gasp. instantly went to , as if she had done something wrong.

“He does have something to do with the Sky Demon,” he murmured. C.A.P glared at her.

“Tell me what you know,” he demanded. She glared back.

“Not until you tell me what you know.”

“I don’t have time for games. If you have anything about those legends, please tell us. We need to know what we’re connected to.” 

She was surprised at the remark. She thought it was going to be some snaky comment, like all the other people she talks to. But no, he was sincere and a little desperate-sounding. She was about to retort something but decided against it. Hye Rin looked back in the direction of the village. She had nothing left for her here. She wanted to be where he was. 

“Take me with you and I’ll tell you everything.” Her words were strong and definite. C.A.P knew she meant it but still, he hesitated. It took a look from Ricky for him to agree.

***

They were all back at the recreational centre. Everyone crowded around Ricky, making sure he was alright. He was healthy for the most part. He only had a cut on his forehead that’ll go away with time. At first, everyone was too happy to notice something that was off. Chunji did.

“How’d you know where to find him? That forest is at least 16 kilometres away from Seoul,” he asked the leader. He said nothing at first because he didn’t know. He didn’t know what compelled him to go to that specific forest. He didn’t know how he knew that he was there. He also didn’t know how it seemed so familiar to him.

“… Something called to me. I don’t know what it was but it was strong. It helped me find him… and her,” he muttered. Chunji took a good look at Hye Rin.

“She says she knows about the Demon Legends. How can we be so sure?” he asked. 

C.A.P sighed heavily and replied, “Because everyone and everywhere else have left us at a dead end. If there’s a chance we have at finding out Niel’s, Ricky’s and my legend, we can figure out how to beat our own monsters.” 

“Then what about us? Changjo, L. Joe and I? We can’t beat our own bodies, C.A.P. It’s physically impossible, you know this!” Chunji exclaimed, growing slightly angry. 

“So far, I don’t see you having a problem with it. You’re just mad that we’re not doing missions that are about you,” C.A.P retorted. The vampire growled and punched him hard on the arm. It wasn’t so much that it was an insult. It was that Chunji’s hyung was right. He was grumpy that they didn’t do missions for him but they did missions for Ricky, Niel and C.A.P. It was getting on his nerves.

He stormed away from his hyung to mope by himself. Kicking any dirt that was on the floor, he was cursing at himself for being so selfish. Something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. 

It was a leaf. A red leaf. It was perfectly intact. Chunji picked it up curiously. He flipped it over and his eyes bulged out of his forehead. It was as if nature had carved it into the leaf itself. There was a message. ‘The forest is your end but her beginning’. 

Chunji’s throat was suddenly really dry. He looked over at C.A.P who was on the couch with Cora snuggling beside him. He looked back at the leaf. Who sent the message? But more importantly, who was the message for?