You stride forward towards Jongup and lift up your arm high; ready to attack him with the hardest slap you can muster. As you swing your arm down, you close your eyes, ready to hear the loud blow that would echo around the forest.

You don’t feel any pain from the slap, you feel like you have hit air. You open your eyes to see Jongup’s own deep black ones staring back at you. With a loud squawk, your golden phoenix rushes down, frantically pecking at Jongup, but he simply flicks the baby bird away. You try to lower your arm, but something is holding you back. ‘Slow, aren’t you?’ Jongup sneers. ‘I’ve injected something that will keep you paralysed.’ He paused. ‘For how long you ask? What a good question!’ You try to yell back but you can’t even part your lips.

‘How long?’ he repeats. ‘Why, as long as I’m still alive.’ Himchan snickers from the corner, his eyes glow maliciously. An aching pain rises up your arm, you can’t pull it down. All you can do is pose with your arm up and blink. ‘That is not something you do to such a pretty lady, my boy,’ says a rough voice.

A male figure jumps down from nowhere and stabs Jongup in the heart. You can feel a curious sensation rise up your spine; first your legs move, then your arms and lastly your neck. You are no longer paralysed! You stare into the deep, black eyes. ‘Never,’ you roar. ‘Never go near any of my friends.’

You are about to leave until you remember your saviour. ‘Finally remembered me, eh girl?’ he says. ‘Come with me, I’ll show you something.’ Obediently, you follow him, your golden phoenix tagging along cheerfully beside you. Suddenly, he stops walking. ‘I’m Youngjae, by the way. And you, Himchan, don’t you ever stop with the stupid black phoenixes? I’ll reveal your secret to the world, and that means Daehyun would know too!’

You turn around to see Himchan looking terrified; his usual smirk was wiped off with a couple of weary sentences. ‘Come on, hurry up,’ Youngjae urges. ‘I haven’t got all day, neither has that thing you’re going to see.’ You snap out of your moment of arrogance and quickly follow his step.

The sky was black, you could only hear the rustles of your footsteps, and all Youngjae did too fight the darkness is light up a tiny candle that only covers a metre radius. ‘It’s Youngjae, here!’ Youngjae yells into the night as you reach a huge tree. ‘I’ve brought that girl to you! What’s her name again?’ You angrily whisper your name to him, but he isn’t paying attention. ‘Hey come out! I even forgot your name. We’ll introduce each other! Come on!’

The rustle of leaves indicate you’ve come to the right place, but who was hiding in the shadows?

Daehyun Point of View:

Ah! That thick, feeling of that black phoenix is suddenly gone. Eh, my workload. I can finally rest. No! I can’t! That stupid two-faced bastard Himchan is still there. Has he taken advantage of that girl? I’ve got everything planned out and all these idiots interfere. I need another plan, and fast. 

So, you meet Youngjae. He brings you to this guy who you don’t even know the name of! 

Click here to find out his name and the next part!