BaekHyun suddenly shot up into standing position when he regained his senses—realizing that he had to keep his distance from all humans. He kept his head down low to veil the embarrassment reddening on his face as picked up his backpack and began heading towards the door. The atmosphere was too thick and uncomfortable for him to stay any longer.

            “I-It’s getting late. I gotta head back. Night.”

            Before she could say any further, the door slammed shut, leaving April alone in silence. Although the boy was no longer there with her, she felt his presence and warmth lingering in the air. Her heart began to pick up its pace as the thought of his angelic face came into mind. April shook the image out of her head and rubbed at her arms to keep herself warm—realizing how chilly it was after BaekHyun had left. She picked up the unfinished project pieces and stowed them away under her worktable before heading upstairs to shower.

            The cool night air caressed BaekHyun’s skin as he began walking home. His heartbeat had finally agreed to return to its normal pace, but it was nearly impossible to erase the feeling he had felt back at April’s house.

            BaekHyun entered his home through his backyard window, like always. As soon as he landed onto his bedroom floor, XiuMin’s sharp voice chimed out from downstairs.

            “BaekHyun, you’re finally home. Hurry and come down. We have to go to Thellion!”

            He quickly rushed down the long flight of stairs and reunited with his ten brothers, who were now densely gathered at the front door. Han—who was standing in the very center of the boys—averted his eyes over to BaekHyun and nodded.

            “Let’s go.”

            The eleven boys ran—trailing right behind their father’s foot—until they reached the deepest depths of the hidden forest. They stopped before the largest oak tree in the area and carefully positioned themselves across from it. Han planted himself in the very front and waited. The boys slowly allowed their eyes to shut closed as they took in a deep whiff of the fresh twilight air.

            In perfect unison, the boys recited under their breaths along with their father, “Water, Sun, Moon, Earth. Every day is a new rebirth. We promise our faith to thee. Thellion lies here, and this is our key.”

            Within a few short seconds, a luminous gaping portal arose in midair. It shone brightly in contrast of the dark canvas of the night. One by one, the boys individually entered through the gateway, allowing themselves to be directly transported to Eden’s kingdom. The entrance sealed shut behind them as soon as the last of the brothers entered.

            The boys kneeled before their respected magnate along with their father—waiting for further order. Eden smiled at their appropriate manners as he quickly dismissed his men, allowing them to rise under his consent.

            “I’m glad that you are all gathered here with me today. I have something for everyone of you that will hopefully help you in battle,” he warmly disclosed as he presented a fair-sized wooden box from the table beside him.

            He unlatched the chest—exposing eleven glistening silver rings. Every individual ring had a color of its own—as if it had its own characteristics. The brothers glanced at their king—unable to decode the message he was trying to send them. Eden chuckled heartily at the boys’ naïve mindsets—sending his laughter echoing throughout the ample hallway of his domain.

            “Each and every one of these rings possesses a power of its own. As long as you have it on, you will be able to use these powers to defend yourself from your enemies without having to expose your wolf form to unnecessary watching eyes. I have carefully decided on a different skill for each of you boys according to your nature. When I call your name, please come up and accept this gift,” Eden explained.

            “I will begin with SuHo,” Eden announced as he watched the boy slowly approach this throne with his head slightly angled downwards in complete respect. “Humble, quiet, but extremely intelligent. Your mind can do wonders if used correctly. I give you the power of Phoebe—telepathy. Once you are able to grasp what others are thinking, you could use it for your family and for your own personal benefits. Use your powers wisely; do not take advantage of it,” he sternly instructed.

            Suho slipped the ring onto his finger and watched as a lavender color glowed from beneath the miniature crystal as it adjusted itself to the warmth of his body. He slightly bowed before his king before returning back to his position.

            “Chen, you are next. You are powerful, determined, and a great fighter. Once you reach your utmost potential, you will be a great leader. Therefore, I grant you the almighty Zeus’s power—lightening.” 

            “LuHan. You are aggressive, defensive, and protective. You burn with passion when it comes to something you love. Therefore, I grant you the power of Hephaestus. Fire.”

            “Tao. You are mysterious and reserved, but you harbor a hidden controlling, dominating factor. However, whenever you speak up, not many listen due to your conservative and personality. Therefore, I grant you the power to control one’s heart—the ultimate power of Aphrodite. You too, must be careful. Do not take advantage of your powers.”

            “SeHun. You are confident, calm, but you have a temper of a storm. Your individuality corresponds directly to the fluctuating ocean. Therefore, I grant you the power of Poseidon—the ability to bend and control waters.”

            “Lay. You are quick to learn and understand, and you do not grasp onto things that do not matter—and that is why your soul is light. I grant you the power of Chaos. You will be able to control the air and winds.”

            “XiuMin. You are energetic, enthusiastic, and you know exactly where you’re heading. Your identity corresponds to Hermes—the god of speed and navigation, and those are the powers you will be possessing.”

            "Kyungsoo.  You are clever, strategic, and a great fighter as well. You can do many great things with a mind like yours. But even the greatest mind cannot predict the outcome of what lies ahead of us. Therefore, I grant you the power of Apollo; you will hold the ability to look into the future when necessary. You must be careful, however; misuse of this power will certainly lead to extreme deterioration of the body or even death."

            “Kai. You are too, reserved, but you are grounded as well. You will stand up for what you believe, even if you are standing alone. Therefore, I give you the power of Gaia. You will be in control of the earth.”

            “ChanYeol. You are extremely stubborn and fixed, but you are caring and creative as well. Your character is very nurturing and encouraging. Therefore, I grant you the power of Apollo as well. You will hold the ability to heal others at an excruciatingly quick speed—human or divine creature.” 

            “And last, but of course not least, BaekHyun,” Eden called out at last. BaekHyun breathed heavily as he walked up to his throne. “You are hotheaded, impulsive, and unmapped, but you possess a trait of loyalty and genuine love. Once you figure yourself out, you will definitely be one of the most skilled men out there. Therefore, I grant you the power of Hyperion—the god of light. You will possess the ability to bend light and therefore, able to make yourself invisible if you’d like.”

            “Like I mentioned, you must all use these powers to help others and to help yourself. These skills were not granted to you with the intention of harming others, so please do use them wisely,” Eden reminded before he darted his eyes over to Han. “You have taught these boys very well. They will soon be able to reach their strongest point with these powers if trained consistently and properly. Hopefully, these powers will be useful in battle as well. This is an extremely important battle, and many lives are depending on the outcome of it, so please do your best for Thellion and for the mortals as well, Han. Please let me know if you need anything else; I will do my best to complete your requests.”

            Han nodded acknowledgeingly before he bowed before the magnate along with his sons. The Kang family soon departed Thellion and returned back to the mortal world to resume their extensive task.

            His eyes blazed up in crimson red as he charged at illusion of his brother. No matter how hard he tried to restrain himself from further obeying the devil’s orders, he was unable to fight back. His heart no longer belonged to him.

             Kris roared loudly at the top of his lungs as he tackled BaekHyun down onto the ground—viciously clawing at his face and biting at his neck. The more blood that spilled, the more satisfaction Kris felt. He smiled psychotically as BaekHyun’s flesh finally came into view.  Right before he could sink his teeth into his brother’s skin, a familiar laughter interrupted the silence of the desolate area.  

            “Good job, my dear. That’s enough for today. You did well. Come here,” Lucifer chuckled pleasingly as he ordered the brainwashed boy to his side.

            With a snap of his fingers, the mangled illusion of BaekHyun disappeared along with the bloody mess. Kris obediently trotted over to Lucifer’s side and sat down at the foot of his throne, grinning proudly to himself as the devil gently at his head.

            “Good job, Kris. The next time you see BaekHyun, remember to do the same exact thing you did just now alright, dear?” Lucifer cooed sweetly, luring the poor boy deeper into his malicious plan.

            Kris nodded childishly—completely oblivious to the fact of what he had just gotten himself into. The image of BaekHyun laughing happily with him quickly dissipated into the image of him tearing his brother up from limb to limb. Hope was no longer in Kris’s reach. He had wandered too far over the line, and there was no way to turn back.