A groan echoed through the room as one of the three captured males came to, he groaned, rubbing his scratched head, only to be shocked to feel a bandage around it, covering the wounds. The boy looked around shocked, however, in the dimly lit room, his eyes locked onto the figures of the two boys who were unconscious beside him, he shook both of the bandaged boys, “Minseok, JeBim…”

The seventeen year old looked around the dark room, fear pooled deep in his stomach, making him feel as if he was going to throw up. He shivered, not liking the dark, “Minseok, JeBim…wake up you two…”

The younger of the two let out a groan, blinking as he tried to see in the dark, “Youngwon-hyung?” He paused, glancing around, “Where are we?”

“I don’t know Minseok…” muttered Youngwon, not liking how the room seemed to keep getting darker.

Minseok latched onto Youngwon suddenly, “Why is it so dark?”

The older male shrugged, “I don’t know, but your brother isn’t waking up…”

“What?!” said Minseok, worriedly, looking at Youngwon before turning his attention towards his twin, he whimpered and shook the male who was just minutes older, “JeBim…wake up Jemmie…”

They both were a bit panicked when the boy showed no signs of responding, however the moan that left the fifteen year old’s lips made them both relax a bit, “Minnie? Wonnie-hyung?”

“It’s good to see you awake Jemmie,” Said Minseok, latching onto his brother’s arm as soon as the older male sat up.

“Where are we?” asked JeBim, rubbing his throbbing head.

“You’re in the shine on the top of the mountain.”

The three jumped, whimpering a bit from surprise; however they all recognized the voice and let out relieved sighs, “Daehyun?”

“Ah, good you can hear me…”

“How is this possible?” asked Youngwon, seeing that the other two could hear what Daehyun said as well.

“It’s one of my abilities…”

“Ah…”

“Can you hear me?”

“Old man?” said Youngwon, making the two younger males snigger a bit at the older’s bluntness.

“Yes…”

“How can you talk to us, you told us you didn’t have abilities or powers anymore…” said Minseok.

“I’m using Daehyun’s connection…look it’s hard to explain and we have a limited amount of time to talk since Daehyun’s abilities take up energy, so I need to speak to you while I can.”

The three hummed in response.

Back at the school the old man sat in the medical room with the others Minhyun was laying in bed still, his head pound and throbbing. The other boys were all gathered around the old man who sat in a chair between Minhyun’s and Daehyun’s beds. Soohyun was sitting beside Daehyun on the edge of the younger male’s bed with Minjun sitting beside them. Minhyuk, Kris, and Seungjun were sitting on the edge of Minhyun’s bed.

“I’m glad to know you all can hear me through the bond, Daehyun, I’m sorry that I’m using up your recently gained energy…” The old man’s thoughts echoed through the boy’s heads, especially Minhyun’s making the boy wince, “You three are currently being kept in an ancient shrine and burial ground for the Miro people…you see the Miro people were always a small race, we were very rare to find and we’re always the minority to humans. We’ve always lived on this island, so when a plague ran through the people it pretty much took out two thirds of our population because there are so little Miro…We always lived on the island, however, humans discovered this island somehow and started to invade our homes, which lead to us moving here into this mountain, which had been hollowed out long before our move since it all used to be a part of the shrine we’d bury our dead in and pray, the old detention center, which your fathers were trapped in, was also part of our civilization when we lived out there. Anyway, the shrine was built for a purpose; it was built to house the great monster an evil Miro man released on our civilization, she is a giant arachnid type monster, who rules over the minions that attacked here…you see the grand superior locked her away in the shrine, which is why she’s out for Minhyun’s blood…She was also sealed away, but ever since your father’s came here and started to fight with her, she’s started to wake up since they’re giving all the people they take to her.”

“Which means we’re in danger…” muttered Youngwon through the connection.

“No, she’ll be keeping you alive until Minhyun gets there…” said the old man, “She is keeping you all there as bait to get Minhyun to enter the shrine.”

“Which will be when?” asked Minseok, “It’s cold and dark in here…I don’t like it.”

“We’ll be coming tomorrow…” said Minhyun, using his own powers to talk, not wanting to drain Daehyun’s energy any faster than it already was, “So, everyone rest well today and tonight because we’re going to have one heck of a day tomorrow.”

The next day, Minhyun and Daehyun were up and out of bed, both had a lot of energy and not one person understands how, since they were both completely exhausted the previous day, but now they showed no signs of fatigue. The ones who were fatigued were one, the ones who were in a shrine but they, unlike the others, had a reason to be and the others, and two Minhyuk and Seungjun who couldn’t sleep since they both patrolled the school because of worry.

“Are you two going to be okay?” asked Minhyun, looking at his brother and best friend worriedly.

The two nodded as they all headed towards the grand superior’s ‘castle.’

Once they got to the castle, Minhyun motioned for the others to move out of his way, they did so and watched as the male sent light to the crystal in the middle of the door, which automatically opened, Minhyun moved into the building followed by the others, for a place that was supposed to be where the strongest light user lives it was dark and gloomy.

“Why is it like this?” muttered Daehyun, looking around, “It’s so gloomy…”

“That’s because it’s not where we’re supposed to live.” Said the previous grand superior, “This is where we’re laid to rest…you see when we pass away there is always a large service performed…usually the only people who enter this area are the grand superior…During the services the grand superior leads all the people here while carrying the previous grand superior, once we reach the door, all the other kneel down and prayer while the grand superior enters, carrying the previous leader who is usually dead, and closes the door behind him, the others continue to pray while the grand superior finds the place that is already made out for the deceased leader. The people continue to pray until the current leader walks out of the shrine…”

“So the shrine is for the previous leaders?” asked Soohyun.

The old man shook his head, “It’s for the dead…This chamber is just for the leaders who’ve moved on, there are other chambers, larger than this one for fire users, water users, earth users, wind users, and the other light users, and half-breeds…”

“No humans?” asked Minjun.

“No humans, since they can’t access the chamber sections of the shrine…” said the old man, “Since you need the grand superior to open the doors to those areas…It’s the same for the chamber where the monster lies…”

“Then how are the minions getting out?” asked Daehyun. All of them knew all that was being said was being transferred to the other three by Minhyun, since it didn’t drain his powers as much as it did for Daehyun.

“That I don’t know…” said the man, “All I do know though is that the monster is controlling the dead bodies in the chambers closest to it…so the bodies of the earth users and half-breeds that have moved on, are being controlled by the monster that is somehow making them have a ‘soul.”

“So they’re dead people?” said Kris.

Minhyun and the old man hummed in response.

“They are dead, which is how they’re easily defeated and how they are able to vanish.” Said Minhyun, “If you noticed when they turn to dust, the dust vanishes after a while or gets taken away by a breeze, well, it’s because the ashes of the dead return to their place of burial.”

“So, if we went into those chambers we’d see ashes, dust, whatever it is instead of skeletal remains?” asked Soohyun.

Minhyun nodded.

“So, how far away are you guys?” asked Youngwon, through the connection, not liking the fact he could hear them but not see them, he hated the fact that he couldn’t see what they were seeing.

“We’re in the third level of the shrine…” said the old man, “The shrine that humans access is on the ground level, the air users are on the first level, the fire users are on the second level, the light users are on the third level, the water users are on the fourth level, the earth users are on the fifth level, and half breeds are on the sixth level.”

“Where are we? It’s so creepy here…” whined Minseok through the connection.

“Daehyun?” said the old man, Daehyun used his ability.

“You three are on the seventh level…there are a lot of minions there. She’s on the eighth floor.” Said Daehyun, gripping onto Soohyun’s shoulder to keep steady as he listened in on the monster talking to the minions, “They’re guarding you three heavily because they know that we’re all going to come after you all first…She can sense Minhyun…She knows he’s with us and she knows that he’s going to come get you all first.”

“No wonder their murmurs are so loud…” mumbled JeBim.

“She’s predicting our plan…” said Minjun, “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to change it…” said Minhyun, “Minhyuk and I will head down to the eighth floor, you all will head to the seventh and help set the three free.”

“But she’ll still sense you and will be expecting you…” muttered Daehyun.

Minhyun looked at the old man, “She senses me through the light coursing through my veins, right?”

The old man nodded.

Minhyun smiled, “Then I know what to do…”

The others looked at him doubtfully.

“Are you sure it’s going to work?” asked the old man.

“I’m positive…It’s something I did as a little kid when Minhyuk and I lived on my own and he’d have a nightmare and be terrified of the dark…” said Minhyun, smiling at his younger brother, who’s face showed sudden realization.

“Are you sure it’s going to work?” asked Seungjun, “After all it’s a childish action.”

“It’ll work…” said Minhyuk, “Plus he’s done it so much it won’t drain his energy much.”

Minhyun nodded, “So we’ll be safe.”

Kris sighed, “What are you two planning to do when you get there?”

They all were walking down the stairs to the fourth level at the moment the ground started trembling.

“She really is breaking the seal…” muttered the old man.

“We’re going to hold her off until you guys get there to help us…” said Minhyun.

“Should I come with you two?” asked Daehyun, looking at the two, who both shook their heads.

 “No, you’re the only one who knows where the three are, so you need to lead the others to them.” Said Minhyuk, smiling.

“Then our plan is decided,” the others all nodded and Minhyuk smiled, “I’m cutting the connection…”

“What?” “Why?” “It’s not fun, not knowing what’s happening!” chorused the three on the other end of the connection, however their voices vanished as Minhyun dropped the connection and began to produce an orb of light that glided in front of the group, illuminating the old bricks that formed the walls of the shrine’s halls.

“Just how strong is that thing again?” asked Minhyun, glancing over his shoulder, looking at the old man.

I've decided to finish this story up today, the last chapter and the epilogue should be posted as I get them written.

-Lane