The house was like a dark version of the Coven’s house. The gates were rusty and old, left open widely for anyone to walk in. There were no flowers, no green anywhere, only decay, old and darkness. Jiyong stepped out of the car slowly, taking deep breaths as he felt the aura of the surroundings. He had tried with all his might, but all he could see were faint lights of people around.

“What do you see?” Youngbae said as he looked into the gates. Jiyong shrugged as he extended his hand, making a little monkey out of mud. The monkey started running into the gates, and stopped just at the front of the old fountain in the middle of the dark garden. Jiyong smiled and lowered his hand, and the monkey vanished.

“I don’t see anything.” He said. Youngbae nodded, taking out his dagger from the belt.

“Do you think it was a good idea leaving Chaerin behind?” Youngbae muttered as they walked in. Jiyong narrowed his eyes as he straightened his head.

“Yes, I need someone I can trust guarding the Coven.” Jiyong said. Youngbae narrowed his eyes as they reached the stairs to the front door.

“And what about Taemin?” He said. Jiyong his front teeth and raised an eyebrow as he looked at the door.

“He’s not the High Warlock, the High Witch should take my place when I’m not there.” It was all he said before touching the door, slowly opening it. Youngbae pushed him back, entering first. It was just a habit, letting him walk in. Jiyong was as capable as any other Guardian on fighting, but he wasn’t as strong as one, so he always let him walk first.

Youngbae walked in, his face furrowed as Jiyong followed him. The house looked creepy and dark, portraits of old people all over the walls, skulls hanging on them. The walls were dark gray, the furniture black. It looked especially modern on the inside, considering the outside looked so old and destroyed. Youngbae touched the rail of the stairs as he looked around, and Jiyong’s breath got caught on his throat as he heard a heart beating normally. It wasn’t Youngbae’s he was sure of it, he knew his beats as his own.

“Bae.” Jiyong muttered. Youngbae turned around and looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.

“What do you hear?” He said. Jiyong looked towards the living room, his eyes dark in concentration.

“A beating heart.” He said. Youngbae took out another dagger and walked into the living room. Jiyong followed him suit with a dagger in hand. Youngbae stopped in front of a sofa, looking around. Jiyong did the same, close to the chimney. It was still warm inside, and he frowned looking at the pictures all around.

“There was someone here.” Youngbae muttered. Jiyong nodded, and just then, a cold breeze touched them, and both of them jumped, turning around, daggers in hand and slightly crouched as they looked around, trying to find the reason of the wind. Instead of a person, they heard a laughter, as cold and sinister as the own darkness that surrounded the place.

“Alina.” Jiyong muttered. He felt her presence there, felt the darkness she had surrounding her.

“Is she here?” Youngbae muttered as he moved close to Jiyong. He nodded and looked towards the entrance. There was a shadow morphing in there. He narrowed his eyes and threw a dagger over there. He heard a shriek, then the shadow turned into a woman, Bom. She looked at him with dark red eyes as she took the dagger out of her shoulder. Both Jiyong and Youngbae widened their eyes as she threw the dagger to the floor, her wound healing quickly.

“I didn’t expect any visits, pardon the mess.” She said with a dark grin. Jiyong his lips and straightened himself, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

“We didn’t came to stay.” He said.

“But you will, you’re in my ground now.” Jonghyun muttered as he walked into view. Youngbae tensed at Jiyong’s side, but he just looked at Jonghyun blankly, almost expecting him to do something to hurt him badly.

“Jonghyun, you look well.” Jiyong said and Jonghyun scoffed, playing with a dagger on his hands. Jiyong noticed the bleeding arm and the stained clothes. He flinched slightly, looking at him that way.

“I won’t be able to say the same about you.” Jonghyun muttered. Jiyong looked at him sternly, and almost invisible to his eyes, Jonghyun flicked his wrist, and the dagger went flying towards his direction. Youngbae moved, but Jiyong was expecting it. Squinting his eyes, a wind blew, throwing the dagger to the side, hitting a wall. Jonghyun widened his eyes as he looked at Jiyong, his mouth fell open as he straightened himself. “No…”

Jiyong lifted his hand and made a ball of fire, burning eerily as it grew. The living room had a red color all around the walls, the heat increasing as the ball escaped his hands. Jonghyun hissed and threw himself on the floor while the ball hit the wall.

“Jonghyun!” Bom screamed as she made a ball of fire and threw it towards Jiyong. He easily held it on his hand, vanishing it.

“He…” Jonghyun muttered as he stood up, glaring at Jiyong. “They bonded.”

“Correct.” Jiyong said and lifted Jonghyun from the floor. Jonghyun grunted as he looked at Bom, who was chanting a spell on his side. Jiyong smirked and lifted his other hand, throwing Bom towards a wall.

“Do you think this will save you?!” Bom screamed. Youngbae touched Jiyong’s shoulder, and he looked at him. In that moment, Jiyong felt it, saw it. Dara, her hands tied on a dark room, her breathing uneven as she heard the noises. Jiyong nodded at Youngbae and he left, dagger in hand.

“No, I honestly don’t think I need any saving, at all.” Jiyong said. Bom struggled with Jiyong’s power, and he felt a hit on his mind that sent him back. He panted as both Jonghyun and Bom fell on the floor.

“Bonding comes from both sides, Jiyong.” Jonghyun muttered, lifting one hand. Jiyong gagged as he put a hand on his neck. Jonghyun was clenching it tight, so tight it made him choke on his own hair. “Now, Magna Veneficus, how does it feels to be under the enemy’s claws?”

The house was silent, even thought people were walking around, wearing comfortable clothes that they called ‘Fighting Gear’, with daggers and whips and katanas on their belts. Chaerin was made to wear one, leathered pants and a black shirt, she decided she would wear a tank top, with a black jacket on top that hid her weapons. She had looked at the weapons given to her with a certain admiration. She had always loved knifes, and since she could remember, she had always trained for martial arts, though she had stopped when her parents died.

With a sigh, she stretched her arms, feeling her muscle relaxing as she did. Her room was closed, the windows wide open, all in an intent of hearing his pleas or asking for her. She looked at the sky, it was turning dark, the wind was blowing calmly, a normal evening on the place. She took a deep breath as she walked into her balcony, watching the people arranging their stuffs and getting ready. She could see their preparations, totally normal, yet the tension was growing in each and every one of them. The women that she once thought were too classy or too fashion to fight, were dressed in black with weapons in hand. She smiled unconsciously as she imagined them fighting, bleeding for Jiyong.

“Chaerin.” A man called her from behind. She turned around hastily, her hair falling over her face, blurring her vision. But she could see, could see the amber aura accompanied by a red one. She moved her hair to the side and saw Taemin with Seunghyun, looking at her.

“Is everything ready?” She asked. Taemin nodded, his hand clasped together.

“It is, but we have something else we need to discuss.” He said walking closer to her. Chaerin narrowed her eyes, she noticed he wasn’t dressed like the rest of them. Instead of wearing black clothes for fighting, he was wearing casual clothes, without any weapons.

“And what is that?” She said. Taemin smiled, and in that moment, she felt a choking on . She gasped as she held onto her neck, panting. She could see Jonghyun smirking in front of her, his hand extended towards her, or towards Jiyong, while he clenched them tighter.

Chaerin closed her eyes again, panting, then opened them, only to see Taemin smirking in front of her, just like Jonghyun had been just a moment ago.

“Now, Magna Veneficus, how does it feels to be under the enemy’s claws?”

Jiyong took a deep breath, slowly standing up. Jonghyun widened his eyes as he saw how Jiyong stood up, even if his breathing was coming short. With a grin, he lifted a hand and threw Jonghyun away, feeling a painful gush of air running down his throat as Jonghyun let go of him. With shaky hand, Jiyong lifted one finger, making a spark of black flame that burn within his hand, and threw it towards Bom. She widened her eyes and started to run, but the flame followed her suit, until it touched her skin, burning her.

“No!” Jonghyun screamed as he ran towards Bom, who was whimpering and flinching on the floor as the flame got into her veins, burning her from within.

“This… means… nothing…” Bom panted as she gripped on Jonghyun’s shirt. He lifted her up, her face looked charred and burnt, her skin too. She coughed as her head fell back, but Jonghyun lifted it up, making her look at him.

“Bom, Alina, fight!” Jonghyun said as he shook her limp body.

“He’s already attacking… run…” Bom muttered one more time before closing her eyes. Jiyong narrowed his eyes, looking at her burning body on the floor. Jonghyun stood up, glaring at Jiyong, then stormed out of the house. Jiyong intended to follow him, but he just disappeared in midair, leaving him looking at nothing.

An almost unbearable pain ran through his veins, almost making him fall on the floor. He gasped as he held onto a table, panting. “Bae!” He screamed as hard as he could, walking limply into the house. He saw Youngbae walking with Dara towards them. She looked terrible, her skin was pale, her eyes hollow and scars and wounds were visible, even through her thin clothes.

Jiyong widened his eyes as he saw his sister in that delicate state, and a tear almost escaped his eyes as she just smiled at him, like nothing had ever happened. “Traven.” She muttered. Jiyong shook his head and went over her, forgetting the terrifying pain on his skin.

“Dara, oh my Dara.” He muttered as he hugged her, smelling her. She smelled like dirt and mud and sweat, but underneath all of that, she smelled like his sister, and he felt happy just for that. She hugged him back, delicately, her shaky hands holding onto his shirt. He let go, holding her face between his hands.

“Jiyong… It’s dangerous.” She muttered, her voice hoarse. Jiyong raised an eyebrow and shared a quick glance with Youngbae, then look at her again.

“What is?”

“The Evil… is in the manor…”