Blindly running through the shadowed and silent evening, Mina continued to hold onto the healer. Unsure why she had grabbed onto him, she didn't bother to let go as Lay seemed undisturbed by her actions. In fact, after running a few moments, he seemed to speed up his own pace while following her lead. 

Of the Legends, the healer tended to be the most understanding of Mina's sudden movements and never questioned her decisions. More recently he had found himself grateful for her existence. With her abilities growing, he was no longer alone and was beginning to feel that he could depend on her and trust her more and more. Proof of this trust was exemplified as he moved with her into the darkness, not knowing where they were headed. 

"Is he still far out?" Lay inquired. 

"I'm not sure... But we need to keep moving forward. He said to go this way." 

Eyes widening hearing Mina's words. Lay unconsciously slowed down. "He said? Luhan contacted you?"

Nodding and keeping her eyes forward, Mina replied, "The voice was different this time, but I think it was him."

Blinking astounded, Lay sped up again but then abruptly stopped, roughly pulling on Mina's arm in the act. 

"We have to go back."

Dropping the arm that was interlocked with Yixing's, Mina rubbed the shoulder that had been pulled on suddenly. Grabbing at it painfully, she sighed. "Why? We're not too far off."

"You hear him, but you don't sense him right?"

A confused look on her face distorted by the night, Mina didn't understand what the healer was trying to say. "Yeah, but..."

Shaking his head, Lay glared in the distance. "They're getting stronger by the day... even managing to penetrate your mind."

"What?" Feeling a sudden chill fall down her spine, Mina now understood why. Lay had insisted that they leave. Chasers. Frozen in place, she was at a loss. "This doesn't make any sense... I could have sworn..."

Sensing another pair of feet approach and then rush past them, Mina caught sight of Suho and Chanyeol, running right into the direction of the forming enemy.

Then hearing a familiar deep voice call out, she spun around.

"Get her out of here now!" Kris yelled, accompanied by Chen and following behind Suho and Chanyeol.

Feeling distraught, Mina went limp as Lay pulled on her arms and picked her up off the ground, running back towards their camp.

"This isn't right," she mumbled.   

"Don't worry about it. We should have prepared you for this."

"Prepared?" 

Clearing his throat, Lay began explaining. "The Red Force, it can replicate our powers with just a little bit of our blood. This means that Luhan must have been attacked. And they've been using his power to get to you. They have used this tactic before."

A sense of fear spreading thought her entire body, Mina began feeling panicked. "Another trap. I led us into another trap."

"I said to not worry about it. They can only use our abilities for so long. Depending on how much blood they managed to attain. Luhan isn't one to allow Chasers to drain him."

"Still... If any of them get hurt, it's on me. I led us here."

"If any of them get hurt, then you can heal them," Yixing replied, trying to get the girl to calm down.  

Still upset with herself, she nodded at the healer's words. At the very least she wasn't completely useless.

Returning to camp safely, the two found everyone on alert. With the others out fighting the only ones to greet them were Tao, Lyn, Daniel and Kyungsoo.

"Was Luhan there?" Tao questioned Mina as soon as her feet touched the ground.

Keeping her eyes away from the sharp gaze of the time controller, she shook her head. "I'm sorry." 

Patting Mina on the shoulders, Tao smiled. "It's okay. We'll find him soon enough. Right?"

"Yeah..."

Not wanting to be comforted for her mistake, Mina moved past the others without saying a word.

"Mina!" Lyn called out, watching her friend walk away.

"Let her be," Yixing commented. "She's not going to listen to anyone right now."    

Pursing her lips together, Lyn let Mina be alone but watched as the girl kept her head down and walked away.  

Finding a small clearing not too far away from the protection of the Legends that remained guarding camp, Mina lifted her head up to the star lit sky and sighed heavily. For as much good she was doing helping the group find more Legends, she felt she was doing just as much bad, leading them into dangerous situations and inadvertently causing them harm.

Sitting down on the grass beneath her and closing her eyes, she tried to focus on sensing Luhan. Though the second voice was a Red Force manipulation and replication, she knew that she had heard the voice of a Legend. Putting all the pieces together she was convinced it was Luhan. As a telepath, he was the only Legend able to communicate solely by using brain wavelengths. It had to be him, he was somewhere here. She knew he was.

Letting the time pass by, nothing came to her. She was however, able to sense the Chaser's weakening presence and the return of the fighting Legends. Eyes still closed, she was surprised by who had come over to where she sat.

"Are you going to stay out here all night?"

"Is everyone okay?" Mina asked in reply. 

"You already know we all are don't you?"

Nodding her head, Mina had been monitoring the status of the returning Legends and already knew they were fine. Otherwise, she would have greeted them as soon as possible. 

"Are you okay?"

Opening her eyes, the girl frowned. "I put you all in danger again." 

"Didn't Yixing tell you not to worry about it?"

"Yeah... but."

"Then stop worrying."

"Right... I'll try." Still surprised by the presence of the Legend, Mina turned her head to look at him but could only make out his tall and intimidating outline. However, he really was there, actively engaging her in a conversation. Smiling, Mina spoke again. "I'm surprised. You're being chatty like you used to be."

Taking a step forward, Kris replied. "Well, you're not trying to avoid me anymore."

Her smile falling, Mina mumbled, "I didn't ignore you."

Scoffing at her obvious lie, Kris sat down beside the girl. "It's also because I made a decision." 

Taking notice of the seriousness in his voice, the girl's interest was piqued, and she tilted her head to look toward the Legend sitting on her left. "And what decision is that?"

"I don't care about your answer anymore."

"My answer?" Realizing what he meant, Mina attentively kept her eyes on the dragon. 

"Right. I don't care what you see me as."

Blinking and feeling her heart drop, Mina didn't want to, but she felt hurt by his new founded indifference. Seeing the corners of his lips turn up in a smile, she felt even worse knowing it was her fault for his decision to not care. Though she still wasn't sure how she felt for the Legend, she knew what she felt now, and it hurt... a lot. But she didn't want to say it.  

"That's... probably for the best," she muttered, trying to mask her true emotions.

"I think so too," Kris replied, smiling up at the sky. Turning to look at the girl, who was now needlessly staring at her hands, Kris continued on. "I don't need to know how you see me to know how I feel about you. So I decided you don't have to answer me right away anymore. It can be a lot later. I don't care right now."

Looking up from her hands and over at Kris, Mina stared wide eyed at the Legend beside her. "You mean... you still?"

"I just know how I feel and I know what you are to me. And like I said before, I don't care if you're someone else's other half, I'm going to take care of you until you reject me."

A strong gust of wind picking up and washing over them and rustling the leaves on the trees around them, Mina felt her heart beat quicken. Her hair now disheveled by the wind, her heart's rapid beating was only heightened when Kris reached out towards her and gently moved her hair behind her ears.    

Smiling, he stood up and exhaled. "It's late. Go to bed. We'll try to find Luhan tomorrow."   

Her brown eyes following the man towering over her, Mina nodded. "Tomorrow."

- - - 

"It's getting stronger."

"It must be all the negative energy on this planet."

"Do you think it's adapting?"

"That would make sense."

"We need to hurry. The longer we remain here, the more this planet becomes at risk."

Eyes opened and focused on the ceiling of the tent she was supposed to be sleeping in, Mina's mind was wide awake, listening to the conversation being held amongst the seven gathered Legends. After realizing that the Red Force was growing stronger and more advanced faster than anticipated, the Legends were deep in discussion.  

"We're already more than halfway ready. I doubt it will be much longer until our numbers are complete," Chen said positively.

"But we still need to somehow move things along quicker," Suho replied.   

"I agree but how do we speed up? She's already doing the best she can," Chanyeol responded.

"We need to find Jongin already," Kyungsoo noted.

"Do you think we should splinter off?" Suho asked.

"We can't just abandon them. They've still been more helpful than anything else," Tao said sharply.

"What about giving more power to Mina?" Lay suggested, speaking up. 

"To heighten her sensitivity?" Kris questioned back. 

"Yes," the healer replied. 

"I don't think that would be best," the dragon said in thought.  

"Then your suggestion is?" Chen asked.

Becoming restless as she listened to them plan without her, Mina moved to get up but stopped hearing Lyn's muffled voice.

"Sleep."

"I am asleep."

Sighing and rolling over, Lyn pulled on her friend. "Listen, I know you can understand them and all but you need to get some sleep. A lot is dependent upon you and your condition right?"

"They're planning right now though."

"Then let them plan."

Making a dissatisfied face, Mina tried to push Lyn off. "I should help them though."

"Mina... Sleep," Lyn directed, her grip still firm on the girl. 

"Luhan?"

"What?" 

"No... It's Kai!" Mina yelled loudly. Breaking free of Lyn's hold, Mina ran out of the tent and kept yelling so that the others could hear her. "It's Kai!"

Hearing the girl's voice echo into the night, the Legends stopped talking and their eyes flashed over to Mina's moving location. Not waiting to hear her call out again, Tao, Kris, Chanyeol and Lay took off first and were quickly followed by the others.  

Ahead of all of them and moving at a pace she never had, Mina smiled widely. Having sensed his signature once before, she was positive it was him yet again. And this time she would grab him before he could take off. This time she would help him. She'd be useful again. And with Kai with them, they could move faster to find the others. Just thinking about how much easier things would be with Kai, Mina's smile couldn't be bigger.  

Still running on, and still somehow far ahead of the Legends, she finally saw him again. Just a few feet and standing with his back towards her, Mina watched as he slowly turned around. There was no mistaking it now. Kai. It was undoubtedly him... But something was wrong. Staring at the Legend she had once seen before all battered and bruised, he now looked calm and there was a distinctive smirk on his face. 

Wanting to approach him but sensing there was something off about his presence, Mina pushed past her uneasiness and moved forward to him. However, as she did, she saw him vanish with a cracking noise. And where he once stood remained his shadow. Or at least what she thought was his shadow.

Taking only a moment to realize exactly what it was, Mina froze. Staring into a hollow pair of eyes she felt her fate sealed. Alone in the middle of some god forsaken deserted land, she'd be taken to the after world in a painful instant. Though she had faced the possibility of dying before, the crippling fear this time was overwhelming. And she felt it so intensely, that all her other senses ceased to function, and the only thing she was able to do was tremble.

Not ready for what she knew was coming, she suddenly felt a pair of hands pull on her waist and take her into a protective embrace. Not seeing the following events but hearing them, the girl could hear Tao's attacking cry and heavy breathing. The girl then heard a quiet utterance from the Legend that had pulled her out of the line of danger. 

"Twice in one night?"

Still shaking and slowly looking up, Mina saw a small smile on the face of the whispering dragon.

"Looks like I really have my work cut out for me."   

"More incoming!" Suho yelled, watching as an increasing number of Chasers appeared instantly. Mimicking the ability of the teleport.

"How?" Chen mumbled astounded. 

"Lyn and Daniel! We need someone to head back to them!" Chanyeol shouted, remembering the vulnerable humans in their party. 

"Lay! Take Mina and head back!" Suho directed.

"I'm taking her," Kris replied, feeling Mina grab weakly onto his shirt, not wanting him to let go of her just yet. 

"We need you here."

Not listening to the guardian, the Legend had already taken off, swinging the girl up into his arms.

Wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head into his chest, Mina clung onto Kris and didn't let go even after the two had safely returned to camp. Nor did she let go when Lyn ran to her side and called out to her in a concerned voice. And after unsuccessfully trying to get her to let go of Kris, Lyn reluctantly gave up. 

Though enjoying Mina's hold on him, feeling the girl still tremble every now and then, he felt his heart sink.

"I'll handle this," Kris said, looking over at Lyn. 

Hesitant, Lyn sighed and nodded her head, "Alright."

Watching the tall girl with the short black hair slowly move away, Kris shifted the girl in his arms and tried to ease her down. Upon which he immediately met resistance as the girl shook her head and mumbled into his shirt.

"Please don't."

"Mina, you don't have to be so frightened anymore," Kris replied. 

Finally moving her head to look up at the Legend, the girl couldn't reply. It was not that she wanted to be frightened still, it was just that she couldn't shake off the image in her mind. 

"I told you I'd take care of you right?" Kris asked. "Well, I'm sticking to my word."

Having felt the terror and horror of looking death in the eye, Mina desperately held on to Kris's words. He was sticking to his word. He had saved her. Without him, she could be dead. Though she had been the one to save him first, the way in which he saved her was so direct that she didn't want to leave his strong hold. She would eventually get down, but not yet.

And she didn't get down for a while, not until her arms began loosing strength from holding onto the Legend so tightly. And when she did let go, she remained close by his side. 

Now waiting and hoping for the other Legend's safe return, Mina and Kris sat side by side, staring at the burning campfire in silence until Mina finally spoke.

"Yi Fan?" Mina muttered quietly, finally transitioned back into her normal state.

"Yes?"

Smiling slightly, the girl continued on, "Thank you." 

Returning a larger smile to the girl, Kris couldn't help but feel his heart fill to the brim with happiness. Within hours of making his decision, things were only getting better for him. Though it came at the cost of Mina's fear, he still took what he got and thought of it positively. Having her by his side, thanking him and smiling at him... It was all he wanted. 

Placing his large hand on top of her head, he replied her. "You're welcome. Next time just try to let me know where you're going before you go, or just... stay where I can see you." 

Reminded that the man beside her held those feeling towards her, Mina felt her cheeks flush as her blood began pumping faster due to her accelerated heart rate.

Feeling Kris move his hand from the top of her head to the bottom of her chin, she saw a new and particular look in his dark brown eyes. A look that seemed a mixture of something hopeful, lucid, loving and wanting, all blending perfectly together.

He was going to kiss her. It wasn't for an energy transfer nor was it to boost her mysterious Legend -like abilities. He was going to kiss her because he liked her. And she knew it. Watching him move in closer with the same look still in his eyes, she didn't move.

He was going to kiss her.    

Closing her eyes slowly in response, she'd let him. 

- - -