Bring them to ashes. 

 

"Pick a card, any card" Jongdae grinned as he fanned out a pack of cards to a giggling woman in her twenties, on estimate. He bit back the urge to roll his eyes at her as she reached out and took a card from the middle of the pack. "Okay good, now put it back" the girl complied and Jongdae shuffled his cards again before fanning them out in front of her "Do you see your card here?" 

 

"No" The woman said in a tone that was between mystified and amused. 

 

"Good" He smirked and threw the cards up in the air, as they showered amongst the crowd he glanced up to the buildings above as they began to light up showing the card she had picked- eight of spades. He watched as the crowd squealed with delight before ducking away into the night unnoticed. Taking in the immense applause with glee as he walked away.

 

He walked along the streets of Seoul clad in a big thick winter coat, stopping to buy some Chinese takeout in a secluded restaurant that was down an alley way, it was quiet and rundown, but Jongdae didn't really care. While he was waiting he scanned the place for anything interesting, red wallpaper that was peeling at the corners, carpet that was slightly damp and dim ceiling lights that flickered every so often, so the setting was pretty dire Jongdae concluded, but what about the people? It was around peak hour in the restaurant, there were no interesting people to note, a few es lingering by the bar area and rich corporate men whom were most probably cheating on their wives which had him frowning in annoyance, as Jongdae was an extreme monogamist at heart he was just about to turn away when he saw two boys enter, both looked around school aged, their clothes looked ragged and their hair was messily unkempt. The boys looked oddly familiar, yet he knew that he had never crossed paths with them before, which then reminded him of the list- a collective list of the twelve best magicians in Korea- himself included. He fished out his phone and glanced at his files- sure enough the two boys were on file. Oh Sehun and Kim Jongin- otherwise known as  Kai. They were pretty much a blank slate, no criminal records, nothing, he'd even tried hacking further into the governmental systems and still found nothing. He would have to check though, looks don't prove for much these days. He watched them closely as they sat down and began conversing with each other, the one he assumed was Jongin had a rather animatic face while Sehun had a stoic expression on his face. Jongdae reached inside his pocket for his props before striding over to the two. 

 

"Detective Kim Jongdae" He said as professionally as he could manage as he sat down across from the two boys, flashing his badge quickly. 

 

"That badge is fake" Sehun or whomever he really was said his expression not changing. Jongdae grinned sheepishly internally smacking his head against the table at his own stupidity.

 

"Caught me" Jongdae coughed awkwardly "Anyway, that's not the point, I still need to talk to you boys, you are Oh Sehun and Kim Jongin if I'm not mistaken?" 

 

"Yeah, that's us" Jongin said lazily as he poured himself a glass of water "Did you need something?" 

 

"Actually yes, I'm here to recruit you" 

 

"Excuse me?" Sehun raised an eyebrow "I think you've got the wrong people" 

 

Jongdae shook his head adamantly getting out his phone to show them their files. "Look here, you're on the list I received, here is a list of Korea's top 12 magicians, myself included with 4 of Chinese descent, you are magicians are you not?" 

 

"Woah, I didn't know we were ranked" Jongin squinted as he looked at the list. 

 

"Oh, conventionally it's not ranked, all people on the list are equally as good as each other, but yes some anonymous person from with the secret service had given me the task of finding you, once we're all united we will be issued our next task as a whole" 

 

"How can we trust you?" Sehun asked suspiciously glancing at Jongdae and sipping his coke. His eyes were full of maturity which Jongdae found unusual since he was so painfully young. 

 

Jongdae clasped his hands together watching as Jongin was going through his phone and he told himself a job well done for keeping all important data off his phone. 

 

"Technically speaking, you can't- I'm not in charge of this operation, I know barely more than you, all I know is that I'm giving you a chance to actually do something in your lives, street magicians rarely have a foreseeable future, people get bored fast" 

 

"And your saying this from experience?" 

 

"No, I'm saying this from witness, I'm not a full time magician like you two, I have a day job- had a day job, I don't or didn't do magic for a living, I do it for recreation and if people want to pay me then that's great, I've seen people crash and burn all I'm saying is that if I were you I'd take the offer before your income plummets" 

 

"Well what's in it for us?" 

 

"Oh I imagine something extravagant" Jongdae said somewhat blithely "It depends on what you want, but it's a government based job so there has to be major perks" 

 

Sehun internally thought this out, hypothetical outcomes, new branch universes that would result in this very decision- yes Sehun was a extreme fan of quantum mechanics and well of the universe as a whole, it was logical what Jongdae was saying, the perks would be countless however he had to think about what he would be getting himself into, it's probably a governmental controversy used to cover up whatever up they'd made. They were just one part of the equation and once signed on you cannot just back out, and Sehun had an inkling they would be integral to whatever they were about to get themselves into. But on an impulse and the need to actually get out there and do something was to much to bear. Call him an adrenaline junkie if you must. 

 

"Fine, I'll help the government out- only for the perks though, I hate politics" He decided "Jongin, are you in?" 

 

"Yeah, I'm looking for some fun anyway" Jongin grinned while handing the phone back to Jongdae "I'm happy to help, people for the greater good" 

 

Jongdae rolled his eyes "I hate politics, but if we didn't have a form of government we'd be in utter chaos, that's the only reason I agreed" 

 

"Ah so we agree on something" Sehun gave a small smile and Jongdae thought he looked good when he smiled, younger, like he was actually 18. "Now I can check you two of my list next is a magician, Kim Joonmyun, otherwise known as Suho, it's only 8.30 now so I'll take you back and show you our, place or whatever, and I'll show you his file" 

 

"Yeah, but like Jongdae, can we get something to eat first you know I'm kind of starving" 

 

"Oh right of course... Food, uh my foods kinda gone cold, why don't you go order something? My treat" Jongdae offered 

 

"Well, I'm going to the bathroom, excuse me" Sehun got up and moved as he was walking away Jongin sighed as Jongdae stared after him with bewilderment.

 

"He's had a rough life, grown up before his time" Jongin twiddled his thumbs before scanning over the menu "He'll warm up to you eventually, he just doesn't adapt very well" 

 

"Thanks for the tip" Jongdae murmured eyes on his phone, he looked through the names again his eyes resting on a Chinese magician named Luhan, he thought about it for a moment before deciding to ignore the weird feeling in his gut and looked back at Jongin. 

 

"So, are you good with chicken? Or...?" 

 

----

 

Sehun went into the bathroom, and leaned against the door frame for a moment, in actual fact he was exhausted from their night, not that it hadn't got him what he wanted, but when you live on the streets, a decent nights sleep is rare. 

 

Little to Sehun's knowledge that a waiter had followed him into the bathroom and had followed him into the cubical that Sehun had gone into, Sehun didn't actually need to go to the bathroom but the smell of alcohol and cheap perfume was making him dizzy, at least in the bathroom he could be alone. 

 

Or not. 

 

Sehun glanced up at the waiter whose name tag was in Chinese so he couldn't read it, he looked around 12 years old but his eyes had a sparkly glint that made Sehun curious. The waiter grinned down at him and Sehun stared boredly back. 

 

"Um, did you need something?" He asked raising an eyebrow and he sat down on the toilet lid. Sure the boy had big sparkly eyes but Sehun just wanted to be alone for the moment. 

 

"Hi Sehun" The waiter winked at him "The name's Luhan" 

 

"How do you know my name?" The reply was monotonous and Sehun's face showed no expression. 

 

"Well-" 

 

"Never mind, you stalked me- obviously" 

 

"I did not! Okay maybe a little, maybe I heard your conversation with Kim Jongdae" 

 

"What so are you going to blackmail me with all the information you found out? Go ahead" Sehun shrugged leaning back a little "I hate politics anyway" 

 

"What? No? If I wanted something from you believe me, I'd get it blackmail unnecessary" 

 

"Oh great, now that makes sense, you're a mentalist" 

 

"Oh aren't you smart!" Luhan clapped in delight "I like you already" 

 

"Great" Sehun dragged out crossing his arms over his chest "Now did you actually want something?" 

 

"I'm on the list, I need you to recruit me" 

 

"Why me?"

 

"Well because I like you better than the others" Luhan pouted maybe he should try use his persuading powers on him, but he didn't want to have to resort to that. He liked the guy to much.

 

"Let me guess, you already know how it's going to pan out, don't you?" 

 

"Well- not really, I kind of see it as it comes, someone has put a block on what I want to know, however, I can help you find the other 8, which I think you'll need" Luhan smiled sweetly and Sehun cracked a tiny bit, a billionth of a bit.

 

"By the way, your mind games don't work on me, I can see you're trying to read me" Sehun smirked and Luhan grumbled. 

 

"You're the only person I've ever met that I can't read" 

 

Sehun didn't know why but he was kind of happy about that. He shrugged nonchalantly at Luhan's displeased expression. 

 

" it up soldier" 

 

"But you'll still recruit me right?" Luhan batted his eyelashes "Please?" He breathed his breath fanning Sehun's face, it smelt of oranges. 

 

"Whatever, you're on the list so it's not like I have a choice" Sehun waved his hand before looking back at Luhan. "You're not actually a waiter here are you?" 

 

Luhan smirked in return "Psychic paper gets them every time, I knew where to find you" 

 

"You're really creepy you know" Sehun sighed getting up and looking around, Luhan just beamed in response and latched himself onto Sehun's arm. 

 

"I know, you'll learn to love it" 

 

They walked out of the bathroom, dodging the couple making out in the hallway. Sehun gestured to his side. "This is Luhan, he says he's on the list" 

 

Jongdae looked up shocked, his jaw hanging open and spoonful of rice halfway between the table and his mouth. 

 

"Yeah, I didn't expect to find him so soon though" he said mystified, getting his phone out again. 

 

"Bathroom hook up right Sehun?" Jongin winked suggestively and Sehun elbowed him in the temple ignoring the others protests. 

 

"Yes actually, it was rather nice wasn't it Sehun?" Luhan winked at him and Sehun rolled his eyes. 

 

"Delightful" 

 

Jongdae shoved his last spoon of rice into his mouth, chewing slowly before clearing his throat. 

 

"Okay so that's 4 out of 12 in one day, that's pretty amazing since I thought it would take months, I guess we can look for Joonmyun tomorrow, I'll just show you around the apartments there's only six rooms so you can sort out the sleeping arrangements, but I plan on having a room to myself for as long as possible" Jongdae grinned grabbing his wallet out leaving a few notes on the table. 

 

"Sehun" Luhan whispered excitedly as they walked out into the cold air "Let me share a room with you" 

 

"No" 

 

"Please?" 

 

"No" 

 

"Pretty please?" 

 

"Luhan, no" 

 

"Please?" 

 

"No" 

 

"I'll keep asking till you say yes" 

 

"God, fine" 

 

"Really?"

 

"No"

 

"Please, please, please?" 

 

"What? Oh you meant it, fine, fine"

 

Luhan smiled brightly "Thanks Sehunnie!" 

 

"Don't call me that"

 

"Aww you love it!"

 

Sehun bit back a snarky remark and attempted to walk away, except Luhan had already attached himself onto the taller boy, at least he smelt nice, Sehun thought to himself while they walked in silence through the busy streets of Seoul, the black of night emitted a glow given off by the city lights that illuminated the sky, tinges of neon pink and green thrown into the mix. Seoul was beautiful like this, all wrapped up in its glory, the millions of people crowding the streets, places to go, people to see, Sehun wondered what secrets lay behind those charming smiles and charismatic conversations, much like he wondered what secrets his beautiful city was hiding from him. 

 

For a moment he wished he could be ignorant enough to ignore it. Then maybe he could keep his beautiful shining Seoul. 

 

But after all, all that glitters, must turn cold. 

 

----

 

Jongdae led them to a shoddy building in the heart of the city down another alleyway, they'd be seeing plenty more in their time to come. His keys jingled lightly as he fumbled to get the door open, once he did he ushered the other three inside and watched the others jaws drop. 

 

"I thought you said it wasn't much?" Jongin parroted Jongdae's words back at him and Jongdae grinned sheepishly in response. 

 

"It's not externally" 

 

"But that doesn't imply this!" Jongin used his arms to gesture at the television screen that was probably larger than his wing span, in fact the whole place was decked out with technology, bright flashing blue lights and countless wires and Jongin suddenly remembered that Jongdae was a master of hacking and this was probably necessary if they wanted to get anything done. Taking another good look at the room, it was unpersonalized, white walls and minimalistic furniture, he wondered why that was. 

 

"Hack into the banks and the cash is yours" Jongdae explained shortly walking over to check his hard drives  "Of course it's all government funded though, they let it slip through the cracks" He bought up a screen to track people's whereabouts. Jongin watched as he flicked through various names and faces but his eyes gravitated towards one boy with huge eyes, they were almost haunting, he struggled to pull himself away. 

 

"Who is he?" His mouth spoke before his brain could process the question and he wanted to smack himself in the head. 

 

"Oh, you mean Do Kyungsoo, he's going to be tough to find, I think he'd rather not get involved, but he doesn't have a choice in the matter, he's on the list, plus we have Luhan now, tracking him should be a breeze, I know he will join when he needs to, so I'll let him be selfish for a little longer" 

 

Selfishness, is a sin. Jongin noted, he was never a fan of religion- something about it seemed so restricted, confining, he would rather be free, maybe he should make up his own religion. But maybe Kyungsoo wasn't being selfish, Jongin thought as he stared wordlessly at the photo, shell shocked eyes staring back at him. Maybe he wanted what everyone in this world wants. Freedom. But it never has come without a price. And Jongin wonders what price he will have to pay for his freedom. Or if he'll have to steal it. Jongin was never a fan of religion, Jongin was never a fan of fate. But if one thing he knew was that Do Kyungsoo and himself were destined to cross paths. Whether he liked that or not was an unanswered question. 

 

And with a flick of his wrist he turned to the next on the list. 

 

Kim Joonmyun. 

 

Native Korean, his father the CEO of a large company, he had soft eyes, in fact he looked harmless. His hair black which contrasted drastically to his skin, which was sickly pale, like Sehun. He was not a blank slate, they knew everything about him, it was all on government records, twenty two years old and tainted with various merits for his work. He had such a cushy life, he'd never leave to work as a pawn of the government. 

 

Jongin looked up and saw Luhan babbling to Sehun with a wide grin plastered onto his face. He knew Sehun would warm up to Luhan eventually, it was inevitable, Sehun was incredibly fragile once one got to know him and it somehow made Jongin scared, he wanted to shield Sehun from anything that may break him. But he held back. Because Sehun wasn't the twelve year old he met on the streets anymore, and Jongin hoped that maybe Luhan wouldn't hurt him like everyone else. 

 

But then again Luhan could just as easily hurt him a tenfold and Jongin felt his heart constrict in guilt again. 

 

He was just going to have to trust Luhan won't break him.