~Chapter 7~

Pitch black. That’s all that Sungmin could see when he opened his eyes. Shivering, he felt his hand along the floor, searching for any incentive as to where he was. His hands felt along the seemingly endless tile, yet his cold hands felt nothing. Each movement of his brought a searing pain though his veins, and he guessed that it had been the result of using so much power in his weak state. Closing his eyes, he searched for the bright energy that had made him an enchanter. It was still there, weak, but still shining.

His pack with the Juyo must have been broken. He had failed his brother. All that he could hope for now was that Heechul would care for the younger, just as he himself would have. For now, he would have to resign himself to his fate.

He felt around a bit more, until he finally reached a wall. It felt cold and slightly damp.

The sound of a door being unlocked echoed throughout the room, and a small path of light appeared on the ground, growing larger and larger as the door slowly creaked open. Sungmin blinked twice, trying to get adjusted to the sudden light, before his turned his dark, hateful eyes to the door.

“You’re awake.” Sungmin narrowed his eyes at the obvious foreigner. His eyes still weren’t adjusted well enough to the bright light, so he couldn’t make out the man’s physical appearance well, but if he was to go by accent, he’d say that the man was Chinese.

He just grimaced in response, not willing to speak in front of one of his wardens.

The foreigner placed something to his lips, and spoke in hushed tones to what he now guessed was a radio of some sort. Even with the soft voice, he could make out exactly what had been said.

“He’s awake. Awaiting your orders.” Sungmin scoffed in irritation. He didn’t like being treated as an unaware animal.

“Great. Bring him up,” the radio crackled back, and the hateful eyes narrowed once more at the foreigner.

His eyes had finally adjusted to the light, and he could finally make out the jailer’s features. Dark eyes, dark brown hair, and defined features. Handsome, if he’d say so himself. Something clicked in the raven-haired man on the ground, and he realized that this person seemed slightly familiar. Why though, he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He wouldn’t break his hateful silence just to ask the man his name.

Wordlessly, the foreigner grabbed him, pinning his arms behind his back as he did so. Sungmin tried his best to fight the other off, but to no avail. His power depletion had left him too weak, so he was left showing his defiance with hateful glares as the other practically carried him up flights of stairs.

His brown eyes hastily scanned his surroundings as he went by, searching for a hint as to where he could be, but the halls were dark and empty, and each turn lead to similar halls.

The man stopped suddenly, causing the smaller to jerk his head back with the sudden movement. A door was opened quietly, and he was hastily thrown in, landing painfully on his back. The floors were covered in soft carpeting, yet they didn’t alleviate the pain the fall gave him. Some part of him wanted to curl up and end it there, but the stronger, defiant part kept his head up and his stubborn glare in place.

Dark eyes surveyed the surroundings as he heard the man behind him lock the door with a small click.

The room was large, almost like a throne room. Large tapestries deciphering gruesome pictures painted the walls in brilliant shades of burgundy and orange, giving the place a threatening feeling. Last, he turned his gaze to the center, where a somewhat familiar figure sat, a dark hood covering its face. The two stared at each other for a moment, and then the silence was broken as the figure spook in a deep, gravelly voice that sent shivers down Sungmin’s spine.

“Good job, Hankyung. You may retire now.” His jailer, who now had a name, bowed once, then strode out, relocking the door behind him. Sungmin’s eyes trailed the other for as long as he could, before he was finally forced to meet eyes with the man who haunted his dreams most nights. His father. It took all of the raven-haired man’s self-government to keep the stone glare he had on his face in place under the heavy gaze of the one person who he hated, and feared, the most.

“Been quite a while, hasn’t it, my son?”

He gritted his teeth in frustration, barely managing to get out a small “You don’t deserve to call me your son.”

The hood was off now, revealing the hateful features that looked so similar to his, only aged.

“You shouldn’t be acting so defiant, not when you don’t even have the power to fight me off right now.” The condescending tone only made Sungmin want to fight the more, but he knew that in his current state, he wouldn’t be able to win.

Silence was his father’s only answer, making the older shake his head in mock disappointment. With a fluid motion of his strong hands, he grabbed his son by the hair, smirking at the barely hidden groan.

“Regretting your choice yet?” he mocked.

Hateful eyes were his only answer, yet the slight bit of fear was still visible through the younger’s marvelous façade. The older chuckled in amusement at how good his son had gotten at masking his feelings in front of him. Without a care, he released his hand, smirking at the small yelp of pain the younger made as he hit the ground.

The dark eyes turned back to him, the hate and pain embedded in their depths. “I’ll never regret my decision. Hae deserves all that I have sacrificed for him.” The voice wavered slightly in the beginning, but grew stronger as the raven-haired man gained more confidence as he spoke.

The father held up his hand, palm up, seemingly about to slap the younger, and watched as the short confidence wavered with a small flinch.

“That worthless brat is dying. There’s no point in trying to prevent it. Prolonging it would only cause him more pain.”

“I was about to make it right.”

The elder scoffed. “By stealing that precious artifact? The Juyo? That wouldn’t have helped one bit.”

“Yes it would have!” Desperation was evident in Sungmin’s voice as he yelled back.

“Maybe, if you had the chance to complete the ritual. Yet, because of your foolish trusting and selflessness, it would have never worked. Ever wonder why stealing the Juyo had been so easy? Why the suggestion had been brought up just as everything had seemed bleak? Seems funny how it all worked out so well, if you think back at it.”

Sungmin’s eyes widened, shock replacing the hate as the information began to sink in. “No.”

“So you finally realized it.”

“How did you-“

“A simple task, really. I had spent many years after you left with that cripple of yours searching for another, someone better to replace you as my disciple. I found many candidates, each brilliant in their own way, yet their capacities were… lacking if I should say so myself. Most of them I just ended up disposing of after some time, except for two: one, the man you just saw, and the other is one you have yet to meet. He’s my prodigy, and with his power, has been a great addition to my team. Thanks to Hankyung, and my other prodigy, I have been able to successfully get you back.”

“But why?” he whispered.

“Didn’t I tell you? You’re my only chance. With our combined powers, we could take over this pathetic world. There aren’t many of us left; most have been killed by those who were afraid of us, and what we could do. Called it ‘witchcraft’. All of us here make up what is left of what used to be a thriving population of enchanters. With our small force, we could easily change the world.”

“You’re mad.”

“No, not mad. Brilliant.” The maniacal laugh did nothing to justify his words, making Sungmin back away slowly.

“I’ll never help you,” he snarled, the hate in his eyes back. “Your dream is nothing but a pathetic want. You’ll never get anything from it.”

“With your help I will. Combined with the powers of my prodigy, as well as his new assistant, and the strength of that foreigner, we shall take over.” The look in the elder’s eyes was terrifying, displaying a hint of the madness within. Sungmin knew his father would do anything to make the demented ‘dream’ happen.

“I’ll never help you.”

The slap that came after was expected, and Sungmin didn’t even flinch.

“You will.” The older had come so close that Sungmin could smell the putrid stench of his breath, and he drew back slightly, keeping his eyes defiant.

“Not as long as I’m alive.”

Sungmin’s dad smirked, “We’ll see about that.” The hand let go of his shirt, throwing him against the wall harshly. “Hankyung, take this boy back to his new home.”

The door behind him opened, and Hankyung nodded, quickly proceeding to pick Sungmin up, taking him back to his small cell.

Sungmin wasn’t sure if he really minded.

…

 Kyuhyun lay down on his new bed, in his new home. It was a lot more comfy than the previous place he had stayed at, but that wasn’t what was occupying his mind. For the first time since his violet-haired companion had taken him from his cage, he found himself questioning his mission. Hyukjae and the man were hiding something from him, but what that was, was the question. From what he could tell from last night, Hyukjae’s boss wasn’t the king, and had no relations to him whatsoever. So what was the real purpose?

The dark haired man lay on the floor, having passed out. Sacrificing himself for his family; how brave. The brunette couldn’t help but to admire the other; he may have been a thief, but he still had a heart. He turned to Hyukjae, only to find the other seething.

“What? Upset we lost the others?”

The violet-haired man didn’t reply, instead growling slightly.

Kyuhyun sighed in frustration. The other really seemed to have quite the anger issues. “They weren’t the target; we didn’t need to catch them. You should be able to tell that neither had powers, and therefore weren’t the ones we were looking for.”

Silence remained his only answer.

Kyuhyun gave up, and sat down on the ground, waiting for it to be time to go. As he stared, his eyes fell on the young man on the floor in front of him. He… was beautiful. With his soft, round face, pink, m-shaped lips, and his dark eyelashes, the dark-haired thief seemed to be the epitome of perfection. As he stared, the brunette found himself becoming increasingly drawn towards the other. What was his past? He seemed too innocent to have joined a lifestyle such as this. Why was he so willing to sacrifice himself for the others?

The brunette shook his head, trying to get the thoughts out of his head. Now was not the time to be thinking like this. Once he was brought in to the king, there would be no chance of seeing him again. Reluctantly, he turned away, turning once again to his companion.

“Well? Are we going?”

A nod this time. “Yes. Pick up the man. We’re getting out of here.”

He raised a dark eyebrow at the order, but nonetheless, complied. Turning around, he pulled the other onto his back, placing his arms loosely around his neck, and grabbing hold of his legs. He turned to follow Hyukjae, and found him already outside.

He groaned under the weight of the raven-haired man, shifting him slightly to better situate the other on his back, then started walking out.

“So which way?”

Hyukjae didn’t reply, instead grabbed a hold of his phone, and started dialing.

“We’ve got the boy,” he said. Kyuhyun could hear the voice on the other side, but he assumed it was slightly annoyed because he saw the violet-haired man flinch slightly.

“No, they escaped. We have no idea where to.”

The pale hands held the phone away from his companion’s ear as the other stood with a pained grimace on his face.

“We request assistance on getting back. We have the boy, and a new partner.”

This time the person on the other side must have seemed pleased with the news, because Hyukjae’s face seemed to relax, and go back to its normal, cheery, yet reserved state. He replied with a respectful “yes,” then shut the phone triumphantly, leaving Kyuhyun to wonder exactly who his friend’s boss was.

“Are we-“ His question was squandered as he felt a single pull behind his navel, and his surroundings seemed to blur together, then disappear altogether.

When the darkness dissipated, Kyuhyun was left in a new, secluded area. He was still in the forest, but he could tell by the way the ground slanted, that this was a different place. There was no sign of life other than the two of them, and Kyuhyun found that quite scary.

“Where are we?”

“My boss’s place.”

“We’re in the middle of a forest, Hyukjae,” he grumbled.

His violet haired companion waved his hand through the air, seemingly trying to grab at something that wasn’t there. Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow in incredulity at the other’s questionable antics.

The other seemed to grab onto something, and pulled what appeared to be thin air. Kyuhyun was about to question the other’s sanity, when a burgundy  door appeared in front of them. Hyukjae motioned for the brunette for follow him though, and walked through the appearing door, dumbstruck.

Through the burgundy was a dark hall, with bright torches on either side of them. Hyukjae turned to a door to his left, and Kyuhyun followed him through it, not knowing what else to do. But he was pretty sure this wasn’t the castle.

The room that they stepped into was very similar to a throne room in appearance, and displayed gruesome tapestries on the walls, displaying various acts of torture. He turned back to his violet haired companion to find him kneeling on the ground, facing the wall opposite him. Kyuhyun turned around, and saw a smiling man. Kyuhyun squinted his eyes, and realized that he looked very similar to the man on his back.

“Welcome back, Hyukjae. You may stand.”

Hyukjae stood up, not meeting the other’s eyes: a show of submissiveness, making Kyuhyun raise an eyebrow.

“And who is that boy you brought with you?”

Kyuhyun gritted his teeth in annoyance. He didn’t like being spoken about as if he wasn’t there. “I’m Kyuhyun.”

“Kyuhyun…” Hyukjae’s boss seemed to get a dreamy look in his eye, then he smiled in a welcoming way. “Ah, Kyuhyun. Good job Hyukjae.”

There was something unsettling about the way that the older watched him: almost as if he was staring into his very soul. There was something familiar about the man, but he couldn’t tell what it was. Something about the way he talked seemed to bring a feeling of déjà vu upon him.

“Kyuhyun, please Sungmin to the man outside. Then you may find a room in my hall. Go ahead, make yourself comfortable! You’ll be staying here for a while.”

“Sungmin?” For a moment, the brunette was confused, then he realized that must have been the name of the beautiful man who was resting on his back. He nodded, then turned to leave the room obediently. Behind him, he could still hear the mutters of the two men conversing behind him. He heard his name being whispered once… twice, but he couldn’t exactly make out what they were saying about him. He shook his head slightly. He’d focus on that later.

Once out of the room, he was met by a foreign-looking man. Remembering Hyukjae’s boss’s orders, he gave Sungmin to him, somewhat reluctantly. As he let go of the other, he suddenly was left with a feeling of emptiness that brought tears to his eyes. He blinked quickly, hoping the foreigner in front of him hadn’t noticed, then looked at the raven-haired man’s face. Sungmin.

“What’s your name?” he asked the foreigner.

“Hankyung.”

“Hankyung,” he said, trying the name out on his tongue. “Well, Hankyung, please make sure he’s not harmed.” Even he didn’t know why he requested that, but something inside of him clenched at the thought of Sungmin being hurt.

Hankyung raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question the request. “I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you.” A feeling of reassurance overwhelmed him, and he felt slightly at peace. With that in mind, he turned around, ready to search his new temporary home.

Kyuhyun shook his head to clear the flashback. Many strange things had happened that day, and that was most likely the reason that he had felt confused about the man, Sungmin. Perhaps he just felt sorry for him.

The brunette scoffed at his own thoughts. Feeling sorry for someone? And even someone who he hadn’t even mat? That wouldn’t happen. Yesterday, he had just been confused.

But that still didn’t explain Hyukjae and his boss’s need for privacy. He had heard his name mentioned, but why? Were they discussing the skills he could possibly bring to the team? Something in Kyuhyun’s mind told him that wasn’t the answer.

He hadn’t met anyone else in this mansion besides the nameless boss, Hyukjae, and Hankyung. Quite empty for the base of a supposed agency.

There was something suspicious about this entire ordeal, but Kyuhyun just needed to figure out what.

Or, at least it was something to keep his mind off the confusion that revolved around Sungmin.

A.N.: Sorry if this is kinda boring… It was more of an explaining chapter than anything else… Kinda explains Kyuhyun and Sungmin’s reactions to their new surroundings, as well as Kyuhyun’s confusion about Sungmin. Next chapter we’ll get some Kyumin interaction! I meant for Sungmin to really see Kyuhyun this chapter, but I made Kyuhyun’s memory too long -___- Sorry~ You’ll have to be a bit more patient!

Please Subscribe and comment~! I love hearing from everyone^^ You guys are my muse.