Capture
Iceboundcap·ture
[kap-cher]
to take by force or stratagem, take prisoner, to seize
Luhan jumped a little.
Something is not right. He can feel it. Something is attacking him magically.
He winced as he felt the impact of another magical assault. The aura of the magic, sharp and precise, yet he was not able to pinpoint where did it originate from. He glances around his surroundings, the streets of Seoul, wide-eyed, searching for a sign of where did the impact come from. Whispering a soft spell, he used the third eye to search out the people around him.
Nothing. Everyone around him is human.
"Hey, are you okay?" A voice shook him.
Sehun.
"Yeah, I'm fine Sehun. I just felt something-"
BLAM!
Luhan felt the impact again, and this time, the magical lance struck him so hard that his head reeled back in pain. As he closes his eyes, he saw a wall shattered. The fragments broke into lilies and pansies as they melted away into nothing.
Lily and Pansy.
One of his wards were being attacked.
"." Luhan mumbled.
Sehun stood in front of Luhan, holding on to his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Luhan sent out a magical wave. In all, he had set up four magical wards. One at Baekhyun's house in Bucheon, one around Baekhyun's car, one at the office, and one around Kyungsoo, so as to hide Kyungsoo's presence from being tracked by anyone who tried to hunt him down.
The one that was currently being attacked was the one around Kyungsoo. Luhan immediately started casting another ward around Kyungsoo to shield his presence, but his magic was being repelled, causing him to stumble a little in the middle of the streets.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Sehun asked, worried.
That was when Luhan felt Kyungsoo's spiritual presence faded.
"No, it can't be." Luhan murmured.
"Kyungsoo, can you hear me? Kyungsoo!" Luhan frantically called out to Kyungsoo telepathically, but there were no replies.
"What happened?" Sehun asked again, clearly panicking now.
Luhan looked up at Sehun in fear.
"We have to go. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are in danger."
It took the pair about fifteen minutes to reach the office. Ten seconds to scale up the flight of stairs. Five, to barge into the office to find it in a ruined state. And one, to take in the image that was in front of them.
Just as Luhan slammed open the door to the office, he saw a huge block of ice in front of him. And beside it stood two men. One of them with that same haunting face that he would never ever forget. The men he had sworn to kill.
"Kai." Luhan breathed out just as Sehun managed to reach the office after him.
"You don't have to run so fast, I'm sure that they'd be fine-" Sehun paused as he took in the scene before him, then directing his eyes to the man standing beside the ice. "Chanyeol?"
Both men turned around and stared at the other two.
"Sehun, what a surprise." Chanyeol smiled a tad too happily. Luhan gulped.
In the ice, there lay Kyungsoo with his eyes closed, frozen to it's very core. From that distance, Luhan could observe the damaged being done to Kyungsoo's body. He could see stains of black bruise against his cadaverous skin. Dried blood trickled down from underneath of Kyungsoo's left eye, as if someone sliced him there with a knife. His white tails, grey and dirtied, and with lacerations all over them. Kyungsoo was just suspended in the ice, bound, broken, and overpowered.
"Let him go, Kai." Luhan breathed out in a harsh whisper.
The other man raised his brows. "I'm sorry, you seemed a little mistaken there."
Luhan took a step forward threateningly, but the man did not falter.
"The name is Kim Jongin, a descendant of Kai." Jongin smirked.
Chanyeol looked at Luhan. "Is he another one?"
"Yeah, the side-kick deer spirit." Jongin said, "I must say that you've casted a brilliant protection charm over him. It took me some intense magic to break through it and finally knock him out before Luna Rigentum could work on him again. It was fascinating how you managed to sneak some of the holy aura from the Radiant One into your charm."
Jongin gave a pat on the ice causing Luhan's eyes to twitch. "But of course, it would have hurt much lesser for him if you had not cast such a thick and suffocating protection charm on his head."
Luhan roared as he pointed his finger at Jongin and shot a ball of energy at him. Jongin simply laughed as he teleported away from the barrage of phantom bullet, before reappearing again beside Kyungsoo once more.
"Feisty here, aren't we?" Jongin cooed, taunting Luhan.
Luhan clenched his fist. Something broke in him. Madness took over as magic roiled off his skin.
"Let him go." Luhan said, "please."
The magic in the deer spirit's voice was unmistakable. Slowly, Luhan's antlers emerged as his eyes flitted black. A ball of feverish red energy gathered and condenses between his horns and he directed it in the sorcerer's direction.
"I've said," Luhan screamed, "let him go!"
The ball of energy was released, and it blasted straight towards Jongin. Shrieking, Jongin casted a magical barrier to protect himself, but the blast broke through the ward and slammed into the sorcerer, nearly knocking him out.
Luhan stepped through the smoke as he stalked towards Jongin.
"Let him go. Give him back." Luhan said emptily as tears streamed down his face.
Then, he aimed his antlers at Jongin again. "I said, GIVE HIM BACK!"
Another red ball of energy began condensing between his horns again. Jongin closed his eyes as he weakly threw up another useless ward in an pathetic attempt to save himself.
Just when the blast was charged to completion, a shadow sneaked up behind Luhan. When Luhan was about to fire, a dagger sliced through the air and cut off one of his antlers, causing the blast to backfire and explode in his face.
"You in protection charm." Chanyeol commented as he blew some dust off his daggers before helping Jongin back up on his feet. Jongin grunted.
"I was a more direct combat type of person. Girly things like healing and protection charms are my brother's forte." Jongin said rolling his eyes.
Chanyeol smirked. "Go, I will meet you back in your base after I'm done with him."
Jongin casted a look over to Luhan, who was trying his best to get back up onto his feet. "Be careful, that's a strong one there."
"He may be strong, but he is hotheaded. And that," Chanyeol flashed out four daggers from his pocket, "would be his downfall when fighting with a cool-headed scheming person like me."
Jongin nodded. "Bye then."
Jongin mumbled a spell and light engulfed both him and the block of ice.
"No!" Luhan lunged forward. Then, three daggers dug into his shoulder blades.
Chanyeol stepped in front of Jongin.
"Uh uh uh~ you'll have to get pass me first."
In a blink of an eye, Jongin and Kyungsoo vanished into thin air.
"So... Now what?"
Junmyeon asked as he stared at the huge block of ice in the cellar. Earlier, Jongin had came back to the house with the fox trapped in the ice. Junmyeon was stunned by Jongin's progress on his own. He actually felt sad that Jongin had not asked him for any help at all. Is he that useless and weak to Jongin?
"We wait for instructions." Jongin replied, placing a palm on the block of ice, it tenderly. Jongin had understood why no one could resist the fox. He was just so beautiful, tender. The fox was the epitome of perfection. Jongin couldn't help but feel lust creeping up his spine.
"What about the other boy?" Junmyeon asked.
Jongin turned around. "We should keep him under observation. He is an Radiant One."
Junmyeon looked surprised. Then, he turned back to look at Kyungsoo.
"He sure is as beautiful as the grimoire says." Junmyeon whispered.
"He is, but he is also as deadly as they say." Jongin pointed out.
Then, he walked over to a table and picked up a spell book, before walking back to the front of the block of ice. Whispering a spell, the book flipped it's pages to the designated page that Jongin was looking for. On that page, there are no words, only drawings.
The drawing of a small fox being ensnared by chains with skull imprints all over them. There were no words for the spell, just haunting, dark, and ancient drawings. Jongin traced the picture before turning back to face the fox. Behind him, Junmyeon just observe the fox in the ice before him, not taking his gaze off even for a moment.
Then, Jongin closed his eyes and focused. He pictured the ice slowly melting, and reforming into chains of snakes, gripping tightly, biting into the skin of the fox. Also, he pictured a dome with strong bars crafted from ice, keeping the fox on its interior with its anti-magic field. Before him, the ice slowly shifted and moved to Jongin's will. Junmyeon was fascinated.
"A spell that is the manifestation of the will of the caster. Interesting." Junmyeon said.
Jongin looked up and smirked. A soft whimper was heard as the fox's head emerged from the ice. The ice move and wielded against Kyungsoo's limps, holding him suspended in the air in the form of a prisoner's chain instead of trapping his whole body in the ice.
"I was never a fan of animal abuse, and also I never really liked cats, thus I thought that the least I could do is to let him breathe." Jongin said as Kyungsoo's head drooped lifelessly as he started taking deep breath, refilling his lungs. The block of ice and the cat was gone, and in it's place are icy chains and a crystal cage, delivered straight from the depths of hell.
"Time to get ready for the big night." Jongin said.
With that, Jongin stepped out of the cellar.
Junmyeon glances at Kyungsoo sadly.
"I'm sorry." Junmyeon said softly, before leaving the room after Jongin.
"Tch. I've expected more of a fight."
Chanyeol sidestepped Luhan's fallen and battered body. Various daggers jutted out of his body at odd places, burning his wounds shut due to the blood of the ubuthi. Sehun watched in fear at a corner, not daring to move.
All these while working with Chanyeol, he had not known that Chanyeol is such a sadistic and violent man. The man always seemed to be so kind, cheerful and happy. But it seems like everyone has a dark side.
Just as Chanyeol made his way to the door, a hand gripped onto his leg.
Chanyeol glanced down. The hand, full of slashes and dark patches of burned wounds, clutched tightly to his leg. Luhan slowly raised his head to look at Chanyeol in the eye. Chanyeol smirked. Luhan looked pathetic. Both his horns were broken, and wounds painted his skin.
"You are courageous, I give you points for that." Chanyeol said as he kicked away Luhan's hand harshly.
"G-give..." Luhan's voice died in his throat.
Chanyeol raised a foot and stepped on his back. "I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch what you're saying."
Luhan blinked away his tears mixed with his own blood.
"G-give...h-him...back..."
Chanyeol shook his head. "You should probably be put down."
He slowly pulled out a single, sharp, and crooked dagger from his belt loop.
"This was my favourite dagger, you better feel honored to die under it."
He plunged the dagger down, and just as the dagger was about to stab into Luhan's back, a chair flew in his way. Chanyeol kicked away the chair with such agility, and saw Sehun, panting as he stood about a meter away.
"You've done enough. Leave!" Sehun shouted as he shook from fear.
Chanyeol cocked his head. "Playing the knight in shining armor huh?"
"He's done, he's down! You've won! Are you happy now? Leave him be!" Sehun said as he brandished a piece of broken wood. Chanyeol clucked his tongue as he walked slowly towards Sehun.
"You like him, don't you?"
Then, Chanyeol pulled Sehun down and whispered into his ear.
"You shouldn't. Loving an abomination like him is wrong."
Sehun gave a battle cry as he pushed Chanyeol away harshly. Chanyeol laughed, before bending down to pulled out his daggers harshly from Luhan's body as he weakly grimaced in pain.
"I will spare him on your behalf because you are my friend." Chanyeol said as he casually wiped away the blood on the daggers onto Luhan's tattered clothing.
"But stand in my way again?" Chanyeol stepped in front of Sehun. Sehun could feel his harsh breath on his face.
"I will kill you myself."
Baekhyun flipped in the cold hard bed.
He could not believe it. He refuses to believe it. Kyungsoo is not that monster that Kai made him see. Kyungsoo is beautiful, strong, kind, and caring. Kyungsoo would never have killed his ancestors just like that. Kyungsoo is compassionate. That monster is not Kyungsoo.
"Everyone that knew me only thinks of me as a monster."
Baekhyun shook away the unfavorable thoughts in his mind. He has to preserve Kyungsoo's beautiful and kind image, and not the ugly ones that were forcefully fed to him. He has to remain calm and collected, and not fall into the enemy's snare.
For Kyungsoo, he has to survive.
"Do you want to see him?"
Baekhyun looked up, and standing casually by the door is Jongin.
He had learnt to differentiate between Kai and Jongin. Kai looks more unholy and ghostly, and he always floats off the ground, while Jongin looks more human and has this eager aura around him. Also, he has learnt that Kai would only appear before him in the altar room, and not anywhere else in the house.
Baekhyun nodded twice slowly, he has some questions that only Kyungsoo can answer, so he needs to see him. Jongin gestured for Baekhyun to follow him. Following Jongin into the cellar, Baekhyun suddenly felt cold. The temperature dropped by many degrees the moment he stepped into the room. And then, he found out why.
Before him, was a huge cage made of crystallized matter. Made of ice.
And in the middle, Kyungsoo sat cross-legged with his eyes close. His clothing, tattered and torn with creases of dried blood smear across them. But nonetheless, he looks fine, like the beauty he always was. Kyungsoo looks cold, but he endured it, and Baekhyun's heart broke at the sight.
"S-soo." Baekhyun started. Kyungsoo looked up, and his eyes brightened a little.
Jongin turned and began to leave. "I trust you, Baekhyun. Don't break my trust. Don't touch the cage or your holy presence would break it down into nothing. You can talk, but don't you dare release him."
Baekhyun nodded once.
"Good, I'll be outside if you need me."
As soon as the door closes, Kyungsoo stood up and made his way to the cage. But as he neared the cage, he was repelled by some kind of telekinetic forces from the bars, back to the inner parts of the cage.
"B-baek!" Kyungsoo said, tears flowing freely down his cheeks, "what are you doing here? You have to go. You have to leave. Run from this place, you're not safe here-"
"Is it true?"
Kyungsoo froze.
"What?"
Baekhyun took in a deep breath, stilling his nerves.
"Is it true that you've tried to end the Radiant Ones?"
Silence.
Kyungsoo could not even look Baekhyun in the eye. That was all it took for Baekhyun to understand. Baekhyun laughed. He laughs louder and louder, such that Kyungsoo feared for his own sanity, which seemed to be teetering at the edge of insanity. All these past months of repeated exposure to surprises and disappointments, he fears that Baekhyun could not take it.
"So why didn't you try to kill me? Is it because you need me alive? So that I can play the role of helping you keep the curse at bay? Is it?" Baekhyun asked.
Kyungsoo shook his head, rivulets of tears streaming down his face. "No Baek-"
"Don't call me that!" Baekhyun shouted making Kyungsoo wince.
"Do you even love me?" Baekhyun said out weakly. It was not a question, but a statement.
"I love you, Baekhyun. I swear to the Goddess, I love you-"
"Stop with your lies!" Baekhyun shrieked.
Kyungsoo's face wired to an angst expression. If Baekhyun doesn't wants to listen, there's no way to reason with him.
"Believe whatever you want, but I know that I love you. So much that it got me here."
Kyungsoo's heart sank when he saw Baekhyun's expression, showing that he does not believe him.
His heart broke. Something snapped in him.
Hatred and betrayal flooded through him.
"Forget it, you know what?" Kyungsoo pushed his way to the bars of the ice cage, pushing away the repulsive force from it. He grappled the bars and shook violently.
"You are right, I am that manipulative, heartless, evil monster you've all framed me to be. I don't love you. In fact I couldn't love at all. Who do you think you are? You are nothing but only a common mortal, someone who is expendable, can grow old and die. Do you think I'd love you? Huh?" Kyungsoo began turning violent, and he managed to break one of the bars of the cage. Baekhyun took a step back in fear.
"I abhor you and your race! Acting so holy and arrogant just because you have the protection of a higher power. You think you're so strong and it makes me sick because you are nothing but trash!" Kyungsoo screamed and a burst of magic erupted through him causing a dent in the cage's interior.
"And if I ever get out of this pathetic enclosure," another wave of magic hits the cage, causing a larger dent in it, "I shall fulfill the beautiful role you have so wonderfully casted me with. And you shall be my first dance partner in this cruel play you have put together!" Kyungsoo shrieked with one of his arms breaking free to the other side, in attempt on seizing Baekhyun.
"You shall be the first one I would kill!" Kyungsoo screeched.
Just when he was about to break free, Jongin rushed into the room with his arms outstretched.
"Signa isus!" Jongin shouted, and Kyungsoo was repelled back to the interiors of the cage. The bars mended magically by itself, locking Kyungsoo back into place. Kyungsoo just lay there in the cage, tears flowing, dripping to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Jongin asked Baekhyun.
Baekhyun shook his head. "Get me out of here."
Jongin slowly pulled Baekhyun towards the door. And just as Baekhyun leaves the room, Kyungsoo laughed cynically, before calling out.
"Have a nice life ahead, Byun."
Luhan stirred from his sleep.
He was in a bed that wasn't his. He looked around the room groggily and he saw a bunch of mop-like hair beside him.
"S-sehun." Luhan called out, and the said person raised his head.
Sehun smiled. "You've woke up!" And he hugs Luhan. Luhan winces from the pain in his back, and Sehun let go immediately.
"I'm sorry, I've did my best to treat your wounds. I've managed to cut out all the daggers in your wounds." Sehun trailed off, leaving Luhan to observe his surroundings.
"Where am I?" Luhan asked quietly.
"My apartment, I've invited you in so don't worry, you're safe here." Sehun said assuringly.
Luhan moved a little, and he winced again. He remembers the battle with the guy with the daggers. Those daggers sure hurt a lot. They burn on contact, but there seems to be no heat involved. Who is he? Luhan could not figure it out. Then suddenly he remembered.
"Kyungsoo..." Luhan whispered, "where is Kyungsoo?" Luhan said a little louder this time while looking at Sehun. Sehun looked down on the bed sheet with an air of impending doom hanging over him.
"He... He's gone."
Luhan broke, tear drops dripped onto the white sheets.
"I failed him again!" Luhan cried as he punched the sheets.
Sehun hugged Luhan and rubbed comforting circles onto his back.
"We have to get him back! We have to save him!" Luhan said desperately as he clung onto Sehun.
Sehun felt tears threatened.
"We will get him back, I promise."
Sehun did not miss the false pretense of security in his own words.
But it was all that he could say at the moment.
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A Cup of Sunshine
Happy New Year everyone !
/SCREAMS/ all dat drama
OTL hmmmm I am also kind of speechless at my own plot OTL
BUT... Oh well~ since the ball is already rollin' there ain't no stoppin' now!
Oh we can't staaaaahpp~ oh we won't staaaaaahpp~
Okay, so... I kinda had an author's mindblock there, so please forgive me for any mistakes or failed stuff there /bbuing bbuing/
Till next update~
PEACE OUT ^_^¥
I'm so sorry for everything D: but hey! Don't give up on hope! Kyungsoo's not dead yet! I'll make the epilogue better I promise >_
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